<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Hidan no Aria: Sherwood Arc by HelixDraxzonyx</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23974192">Hidan no Aria: Sherwood Arc</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelixDraxzonyx/pseuds/HelixDraxzonyx'>HelixDraxzonyx</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hidan no Aria: Sherwood Arc [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hidan no Aria | Aria the Scarlet Ammo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Psychological Trauma, Sadism, Self-Harm, Torture</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:15:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>27,285</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23974192</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelixDraxzonyx/pseuds/HelixDraxzonyx</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Some time has passed since Kinji, Aria and Riko defeated Vlad. Life for them is about to become chaotic once more as Butei High receives a new transfer student from Britain, one whose past is deeply shrouded in mystery. With him swinging between saving a fellow student's life, to assaulting two others with minimal provocation, it is unclear what to make of him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hidan no Aria: Sherwood Arc [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1728496</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hidan no Aria: Sherwood Arc</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Drips of sweat drizzle the mat around the dancing feet of the young man training in a private gym. Standing at 187cm tall and with a strong, athletic build, he could easily be mistaken for a wrestler. His brilliant azure eyes burn with determination, while his matching azure hair flounces in response to his moves. Both highlight the youthfulness of the young man's chiselled face, revealing his age to be in the late teens. The youth executes a powerful roundhouse kick, before whipping back with a vicious heel flick. His opponent however, is imaginary. The young man trains alone, but with his mind's eye, he sees himself being set upon by dozens of masked thugs, some armed, some not, but all out for his blood. He responds to their imaginary attacks as though they were real, as though his life depended on it. He dodges and blocks, he strikes and counter attacks. From time to time he even seems to grab and throw his opponents, or else break their bones. So greatly does he believe in the fictional fight playing out in his mind that he even halts his attacks, as though impacting upon an enemy or else being grabbed by one. As the young man throws a brutal right hook, his fist becomes engulfed in flames. He follows this up with a kick that breaks the sound barrier, decapitating an imaginary swordsman. The young man freezes on the spot, the determination in his eyes replace by sadness and shame. <i>No! Idiot! That's not right. Restrain. Incapacitate. Don't kill. Even if they're trying to kill you, don't kill. Only as a last resort.</i> The young man breathes calmly, showing no exhaustion despite such an aggressive workout. He turns to face the only other occupant in the room: a simple cardboard cut-out used in target practice. He clasps his hands together, then pulls them apart, seeming to strain in the process, as though elastic is forcing his hands back together. While he holds his hands apart, the cardboard cut-out begins to be severed and slashed by unseen blades, and is quickly reduced to a small pile of shreds. It is not just the cut-out that is hit by the invisible attacks; the mat and the far wall suffer deep gouges as well. The young man claps his hands back together, and the destruction stops. He begins to pant and tremble as exhaustion floods through his muscles. <i>4.8 seconds. Up 0.2 seconds on my previous record. Still not good enough though, not against her. I need to increase the rate of attack tenfold while maintaining the current duration. As a minimum target. Still, progress is progress. On to the next challenge.</i> A small piece of cardboard floats up from the ground and crushes itself into a tiny sphere, before hurtling across the room to hit the return key on the keyboard of a computer built into the left hand wall. A blindfold and headphones drop down from the ceiling, into the young man's left and right hands respectively. He covers his eyes with the blindfold, before donning the headphones. All sound is blocked out, so that the young man is left unable to see or hear. He bends his knees slightly, and holds his arms slightly ahead of him, hands open and ready to grasp. Through his feet, the youth feels very faint vibrations from multiple sources that seem to be moving at varying speeds. Once the vibrations cease, the young man tilts his head ever so slightly, and spreads his hands further apart. He takes a deep breath, before swiping upwards with his left hand, catching something small, metallic, and quite hot. Something that had been travelling more than twice the speed of sound. He then swipes downwards with his right hand, swinging it over his left elbow to catch another small metallic object travelling at roughly the same speed. The youth hurls himself into the air, twisting and spinning, catching three more projectiles. Upon landing, he breaks out into a kind of mad dance. Every swing of his hands brings another metallic object into them. On occasion, he feels something hot pass by very close to his skin, but he never lets these moments affect the grace of his movements. After catching an object twice the size of the very first projectile, the young man feels vibrations again, identical to the ones he felt after applying the blindfold and headphones. He drops every projectile he caught, before reaching out again to catch a heavier object in each hand. His mind barely registers the coolness of the chrome or the roughness of the grips before he blindly disengages a switch on the side of each object, and slides back the top part, feeling something from within the grip move into the top part of each object. The vibrations stop momentarily, and the young man taps the mat three times with his right big toe, one tap every second. As soon as he taps for the third time, vibrations start again, but by this time the young man is already in motion; spinning around to face behind himself and pulling the trigger on the right hand object, feeling it buck as the top part slides back, drawing out another small object. He breaks into his mad dance again, but instead of catching projectiles, he is launching them. He maintains his dance, periodically pulling on the triggers as his instinct dictates until the top part of each object slides back and stays back. As he drops the objects to the ground, something grazes the right side of his neck, triggering a sense of disappointment that overrides the stinging sensation and miniscule trickle of blood. He rips off the headphones and blindfold, blinking as the sudden lack of darkness dazzles him. Looking down at the mat, the young man sees dozens of bullets of varying calibres scattered about, along with twenty six bullet casings. Two Beretta 92F pistols also lay on the mat, the slides stuck open, exposing empty receivers. Around him are a dozen cut-outs of people. Eleven of these people are holding broken weapons, but one has a Kalashnikov AK47 still intact. The rifle rips itself from the cut-out and flies into the young man's hands. He shoots the target once in the head, before breaking the rifle over his thigh. After an angry sigh, he faces the computer, speaking to it.</p>
<p>“Where did I go wrong?” A synthetic voice responds without hesitation.</p>
<p>“Your sixth shot. You were a tenth of a second too fast. Had that been a real person, you would have put a hole in their sleeve. You also failed to catch four bullets in the previous round, but you already know that, don't you, Tony?” The young man nods.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I felt them go past. My instincts are good, my senses are at their sharpest ever, and my blind-shooting is exponentially greater than it's ever been, but it just isn't good enough yet. I won't be able to take out Number Four like this. Not in a straight fight anyway. If I catch her off guard, maybe, but you and I both know I hate that word. 'Maybe' was my attitude two years ago. 'Maybe this', 'maybe that'. In the end I still lost, even after giving it everything I had. It took me eighteen months just to get back to that level, but even after six months of thrashing my previous records, it's still not up to scratch. If I face Number Four again like this, she'll kill me. Only this time, she'll make sure I'm really dead.” The computer is silent for a few seconds.</p>
<p>“You can't keep pushing yourself like this, Tony. You can't expand your limits if you strive for perfection right off the bat. You need to ease off the throttle before you break yourself. You're already a high risk for Paranormal Burnout, but if you keep pushing this hard you'll have an aneurysm or go into Cardiac arrest, even <i>with</i> your regenerative capabilities. Try taking a break every now and then, and for the love of God; take a moment to look at your progress in a positive light for once. I mean, your skills exceed that of the S Rank by a factor of thirty-five. If the Academy were reviewing this performance, they'd have to create a new Rank just to rate you with. Not even the Masters can keep up with you.” Tony looks sceptical.</p>
<p>“Are they really that weak? They've never been so fragile when I've fought against them in the past. How am I supposed to perform in today's reviews, then? I'm supposed to hide the true extent of my skills in a subtle manner, but by the sounds of things I could still make S Rank even if I show up blind drunk. I don't want people to think I'm any higher than an A Rank, so how do I do that?” The computer doesn't hesitate this time.</p>
<p>“It's not just your skill that's taken into consideration, but your speed. Delay your reaction time, slow your cognitive processes, lower your pace. If you do that as well as hold back on the skills, you should only pass for a B Rank, maybe a low level A Rank. I would say 'think twice, act once' but for you I think you'd need to think ten times before acting. At least when they test your knowledge, perception and deduction, you can always try lying. Get a few answers deliberately wrong, and that'll drop your overall rating. If you can make it look like the gears aren't turning very quickly, they won't be able to rate you very highly. Just don't go too overboard. If you get yourself rated as an E Rank, that'll cause problems further down the line. Besides, we've already got <i>one</i> fake E Rank.” Tony raises an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Ah yes, Number Seventeen's little brother. Well that's one way to get a low rating I suppose; don't turn up to be tested. Even so, his partner saw through that lie, didn't she? Alright, well, I'll try to keep all that in mind and see what I can do. I need to rate fairly low, though. I'm going to draw a lot of attention as it is, being a transfer student with a background shrouded in mystery. Is there anything else I need to know about?” The computer is silent again for a moment.</p>
<p>“I don't want to spoil the surprise, so you'll have to wait until later to find out. See you at the Academy, Tony.” Tony shakes his head with a sigh.</p>
<p>“So not cool.” He walks over to the computer, keying in several commands, before walking out through a partition in the wall as it slides open. The wall slides closed again behind him, without leaving any indication that it can move. There are no hair-width gaps, no hinges, just a perfectly ordinary kitchen wall, complete with a working refrigerator. Tony opens the fridge and takes out a carton of orange juice, exposing a six-shooter tucked against a carton of milk. He then grabs a glass tumbler from the cupboard above the fridge, shifting a crossbow out of the way in the process. He inspects the glass before pouring the juice into it, and returning the carton to the fridge.</p>
<p>“Stop staring at my arse, Ranger. You're turning into the Cat Burglar.” Tony turns to face an emerald-haired girl of around seventeen years of age, her emerald eyes now fixed on Tony's bare torso.</p>
<p>“Don't compare me to that bimbo, thank you. Unlike her, I don't go around dry humping people.” Tony shrugs.</p>
<p>“Maybe not, but staring is creepy, so knock it off.” The girl sighs.</p>
<p>“Whatever. So, how'd it go?” Tony sits down with a bored expression.</p>
<p>“Well, you know me.” The girl sighs again.</p>
<p>“So in other words: it went better than ever, but still not good enough to live up to your standards. I wonder if your standards in women are as high.” Tony frowns slightly.</p>
<p>“I wouldn't know. I don't really give women much thought, except for Number Four, but then again she <i>was</i> trying to kill me. As far as she's concerned, she <i>did</i> kill me, which is fine by me. The longer I can go without dealing with her, the more likely it'll be that I kill her when the time finally comes. So, what's the arrangement for today then? Same as usual?” The girl shakes her head.</p>
<p>“No. The Cat Burglar didn't like it, so we changed the plan. Ghost and Mantis are your angels, Scar and Burnout are your escorts. I'm the eye in the sky while Cat Burglar's going to be on site to keep a close eye on you.” Tony hesitates.</p>
<p>“What about The Ark?” The girl shakes her head slightly.</p>
<p>“Apparently she had one too many late night snacks with the Cat Burglar, so she's spent most of the day so far with her head down the toilet. I wouldn't count on her showing up today.” Tony sighs wearily.</p>
<p>“So we're going to be short on site? Geez. Well, whatever. I don't expect things to get too lively today anyway. I've got the Cat Burglar at hand if I need her, but it'd be better if people don't realise we're acquainted just yet. Anything else?” The girl hesitates.</p>
<p>“Well, actually there is. The Cat Burglar has told me she's saving your first job. Something... she thinks would be better in your hands, just in case the wrong people take it on.” Tony frowns.</p>
<p>“What's that supposed to mean? What kind of job is it?” The girl hesitates again.</p>
<p>“It's a Protection gig but, well... the client's with... our old family, as it were.” Tony raises an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Clever move. We can't arrest a client, even if they're our enemy. That's why they've gone to the Academy for protection. They've got guts, I'll give them that much. What's their position on the hierarchy?” The girl shrugs.</p>
<p>“Not sure. When we left, he was Number 84, but he might have gone up since then.” Tony taps the table a couple of times.</p>
<p>“Number 84... ah, now I remember. Marcus Lavelle. Not exactly a new recruit, but he hasn't earned himself a title yet. Just another grunt, one of a few thousand. Even so, he's top 100, so he might know who I am. Given that, I can see why the Cat Burglar wants me to handle it. If anyone else does, they might learn something a little damaging from him. I doubt he knows much, but anything he knows is too much for anyone else to hear. Alright, so I'll deal with that later on then. I need to get ready for the Academy now.” The girl looks up at Tony with interest.</p>
<p>“So what are you taking then? The MP5 and the Scimitar?” Tony shakes his head.</p>
<p>“No. I'm not big on those really. Besides, you know I never go anywhere so lightly armed. I'll take my favourites, the Arctic Warfare Magnum, Wakizashi Set Five, and a Stiletto, probably Piece Three.” The girl frowns at this.</p>
<p>“But that's six weapons. I thought you guys could only take one gun and one blade.” Tony shakes his head.</p>
<p>“That's not the rule, Ranger. We're required to carry <i>at least</i> one gun and <i>at least</i> one blade. Don't forget Seventeen's partner uses a pair of Colts and a pair of Kodachi, and the Cat Burglar carries four weapons as well. There's no upper limit on weaponry as far as I'm aware, though exposing weapons in broad daylight unsettles the civilians, so I'll have to dismantle the rifle to keep it hidden. Everything else is easy enough to conceal.” Ranger nods.</p>
<p>“I see, so that's how it is? Pretty cool if you ask me. Well, I'll be holding down the fort for today, so if you need any other weapons, let me know.” Tony smiles faintly.</p>
<p>“I should be okay, but thanks anyway. I'll leave this place in your hands, so keep it tidy, and no sniffing my laundry.” Ranger turns red as she becomes both embarrassed and indignant.</p>
<p>“What kind of pervert do you take me for? Idiot!” Tony doesn't turn back as he leaves the kitchen.</p>
<p>“I wouldn't put it past you. I'm assuming it <i>was</i> you who put all those hidden cameras in my room?” Ranger is left in a stunned silence as Tony walks away. <i>Well... where else am I supposed to see anyone like you? There's only one of you in this world, Tony.</i></p>
<p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Three students, one male and two female, sit in the living room of their dorm, each holding a cup of coffee as they watch the news. The television shows a youngish woman with short black hair, her brown eyes covered by silver-framed glasses, wearing a white shirt and jacket. A caption on the screen reads 'British PM Resigns.'</p>
<p>“The Prime Minister of Great Britain has today announced that he is stepping down, after shocking reports revealed that the he had authorised the launch of a Cruise Missile on home soil during the Birmingham Catastrophe two years ago. The Birmingham Catastrophe is widely known as the single most devastating terrorist attack in recorded history, with roughly eighty percent of the city being destroyed in a single hellish attack that left just under one million people dead while many more were robbed of their homes. To this day, the identities of the assailants have been a mystery, and their whereabouts also remain unknown, however; survivors of the attack have reported that there were just two culprits, and that they possessed Paranormal Abilities, something almost never found outside of Butei. Just yesterday, an anonymous source leaked official British government documents on the Birmingham Catastrophe. In addition to evidence that the Prime Minister authorised a missile strike against Birmingham City before evacuation efforts had been completed, it was also revealed that both the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Defence were aware of the identities of the assailants. The leaked documents also attest to the existence of only two culprits, known only as 'The Dark Goddess of Torture' and 'The Roman Reaper', both of whom are confirmed to be members of the underworld organization known as 'IU'. The Prime Minister authorised the launch of a CVS401 Perseus; a newly developed stealth cruise missile in use by the British and French Navies, after multiple teams of SCO 19 officers and Butei agents failed to neutralise the assailants, but <i>before</i> the city had been properly evacuated. It is this critical point that has sparked a phenomenal backlash against the Prime Minister, leading to mass protesting as the vast majority of British people united in calling for a re-election. The Prime Minister announced his resignation just minutes after it was announced that a nationwide petition for his resignation had gained more than six million signatures in the space of an hour. At the moment of the announcement of his resignation, the petition had amassed forty-nine million signatures. In four weeks, Britain will vote for a new Prime Minister, however opinion polls have shown that an astonishing eighty-four percent of British people have 'no confidence' in their government.-” The television switches off, as one of the two girls stares in disgust, her red eyes burning with anger.</p>
<p>“I don't blame them either. Ordering a missile strike on home soil? Before evacuation had been completed? That bumbling oaf never had any confidence in the Butei. Did you know he once tried to block Butei from operating in Britain? Yet somehow he was elected Prime Minister. I <i>would</i> express hopes of a competent replacement, but the other candidates are just as bad as he is, if not worse. The government has their work cut out to regain the British people's trust.” The male student looks down at the girl.</p>
<p>“Come to think of it, you were still working as a Butei in Britain during that incident. Is there anything you know about it? Anything besides what was reported I mean.” The girl hesitates, fiddling with her long pink twin tails.</p>
<p>“Not anything that has been confirmed. The epicentre of the destruction was the Millennium Point Science and Technology Centre, but no-one from that area survived the devastation. According to a rumour I heard; those two culprits were fighting each other.” The male looks shocked.</p>
<p>“Are you saying that a million people were killed as a consequence of two people fighting each other? A case of collateral damage?” The girl shakes her head.</p>
<p>“I don't know. Don't forget that this is just a rumour. I haven't been able to track down it's origin, so I can't gauge it's validity. That being said... mum <i>did</i> warn me not to investigate the catastrophe. She said that it would attract too much attention from IU. Possibly even from Number One.” The other girl looks sadly at her friend.</p>
<p>“So this <i>is</i> linked with IU? Some kind of internal power struggle perhaps?” The pink-haired girl nods confidently.</p>
<p>“Given the identities of the two, I'd say that's highly likely. 'The Roman Reaper'... while the name might not be well known even after the news story, his deeds are much more widely known about. He's believed to have killed thousands of people, including hundreds of Butei. Five years ago, he was involved in a dispute. A lower level IU operative tried to lead a rebellion against him, so the Reaper crucified the guy, right in front of the Vatican, hence the nickname. 'The Dark Goddess of Torture'... now that's one person I don't ever want to meet. Again, she's killed thousands, but what she's most famous for is committing sadistic acts of extreme torture. Just about every victim goes insane long before she kills them, gruesomely I might add. I heard she once executed someone by gradually sowing their blood vessels shut. It was a method that took more than a week to finish the victim off. Likewise, she was engaged in a long-running power struggle, with her own brother I believe. She killed him eventually, and now she's IU's Number Four. They say even Vlad was terrified of her. Beyond that, I don't really know anything else.” The male student shudders.</p>
<p>“This 'Dark Goddess of Torture' sounds like my worst nightmare. I can't even begin to imagine what could have led to her becoming such a ruthless torturer, but if she's IU; that means we could end up running into her eventually. It might be worthwhile to ask Riko for intel. No matter how gruesome the response may be, I'd rather know exactly what I'm up against. Fighting an enemy you know nothing about isn't just stupid; it's suicidal.” The pink-haired girl nods.</p>
<p>“That's good thinking, Kinji. I'll leave that task up to you. If <i>I</i> ask Riko for any favours, she'll just try and make me do something pointless and humiliating in exchange, just to annoy me.” The male student sighs.</p>
<p>“Have you tried not responding to her pranks? I mean, it's pretty obvious she's doing it because she enjoys seeing your reaction. If you seem constantly indifferent, she'll get bored and find someone else to annoy. Or, maybe not. This is Riko we're talking about, winding people up is her hobby. Still, it's worth a shot.” The girl looks indifferent to the suggestion.</p>
<p>“I'd rather shoot her full of holes, but I suppose your suggestion could work, too. In theory.” The other girl looks up at a clock on the wall.</p>
<p>“We should get going. The bus will be here in ten minutes. If we're late on the first day back, the teachers will berate us about it for a full year.” Kinji sighs.</p>
<p>“That's one headache I could do without. It'll be tiring enough just trying to keep Riko and Aria from fighting.” The pink-haired girl glances at Kinji.</p>
<p>“I've agreed that I'll try not to react to her crap. The rest is up to her. If this plan of yours fails, I'll be putting holes in both of you.” Kinji shakes his head.</p>
<p>“Is that your solution to everything? If all else fails, shoot it? The real world isn't some Hollywood action movie, Aria. Guns and bullets don't solve everything.” Aria sighs.</p>
<p>“Shut up, Kinji.” The three walk towards the door. As Kinji opens it, he's met with an unusual sight: a girl of around fifteen, hanging upside-down from the roof of the walkway. Her face is partially hidden behind a scarf, leaving only her red eyes uncovered. Her long black hair and scarf obey the laws of gravity, but her skirt strangely defies it. Kinji greets the girl casually.</p>
<p>“Morning, Fūma. Did you need to see me?” The girl nods.</p>
<p>“A name has popped up in conjunction with your search criteria. Marcus Lavelle. He's wanted by US Butei on charges of extortion, kidnapping and attempted murder. He's residing in Tokyo currently, but his precise location is unknown. I should have that by the end of classes today.” Kinji nods.</p>
<p>“Thanks, Fūma, I appreciate it. Is there anything else?” Fūma hesitates.</p>
<p>“Only a rumour, and irrelevant to your case. I overheard an upper classman talking about a new third year student. The only information I've been able to find out is that he's British, and his name is Tony Sherwood. A transfer student at this late stage... there is something strange about that.” Kinji muses on this for a moment.</p>
<p>“That <i>is</i> a little odd, but not unheard of. There may be some kind of special circumstance. I'll have to ask Riko about him. If anyone has any gossip about another student, it's Riko.” Fūma nods.</p>
<p>“As you wish, Master.” In a single graceful move, Fūma swings herself over the railing and up towards the rooftop of the dormitory, without making a single sound. As the three walk towards the bus stop, the dark-haired girl seems lost in thought.</p>
<p>“So... your Amica was waiting outside, hanging upside down the whole time? How does she put up with that?” Kinji shrugs.</p>
<p>“It doesn't bother her. She told me once that hanging inverted provides her with a different perspective of the world, one she finds preferential to its normal orientation.” The dark-haired girl nods slowly, seeming confused.</p>
<p>“I see.” After a few moments, a bus pulls up in front of the trio, and they climb on. A male student waves to them from the back.</p>
<p>“Kinji, Aria, Shirayuki! Good morning!” The three make their way to the back, where Kinji greets the male casually.</p>
<p>“What's up, Mutō? You're in a good mood today, something happen?” Mutō grins mischievously.</p>
<p>“Well it's not every day we get a new transfer student in, especially not in third year.” Kinji raises an eyebrow. <i>So the rumour's spread pretty fast then. To be expected, I suppose.</i></p>
<p>“Oh yeah, Tony wasn't it? Tony Sherwood?” Mutō looks surprised.</p>
<p>“Huh? You know already? I only found out myself an hour ago.” Kinji shrugs.</p>
<p>“Don't forget, my Amica's a member of Lezzad. She's one of Lezzad's three aces as it happens. If it makes you feel any better, she only told me about Sherwood five minutes ago, so you still heard the rumour first.” Mutō seems appeased by this, and returns to his casual manner.</p>
<p>“Well that's alright then, I guess. By the sounds of things, you haven't heard the <i>real</i> juicy part.” Aria looks at Mutō curiously.</p>
<p>“Something even more surprising than a third year transfer?” Mutō nods, a mischievous smile forming on his face.</p>
<p>“But of course! The best part of the news is that the newbie will be getting assessed by Department Aces. As Logi's Ace, that means I get the chance to see his skills up close and personal. When Uzumaki-sensei told me about that, I damn near passed out. I've spent the last hour trying to decide how exactly I'm going to assess him. You guys should get to thinking as well. The three of you are Aces too, so you'll probably get called on for assessing him, too.” Kinji becomes lost in thought. <i>Seriously? The Aces are assessing this Sherwood guy? There's only one explanation I can think of. The Masters already know he's good, and want the Aces to learn something from him directly. Does that mean he's an S Rank, like Aria?</i> Aria seems completely unfazed by the possibility of assessing a new student.</p>
<p>“That won't be too hard for me. There's only <i>one</i> way to assess a student's Assault skills, after all.” Kinji looks at Aria disapprovingly.</p>
<p>“Try not to kill the new student on his first day, okay? I think everyone would like to see what he's capable of.” Aria shrugs nonchalantly.</p>
<p>“If he dies from my assessment, that means he doesn't even equate as a Rank E. He shouldn't even be trying to become a Butei if he's <i>that</i> weak.” Kinji sighs in resignation. After a few moments, the school bus comes to a standstill, caught up in traffic. The roar of a motorcycle draws everyone's attention to the right side, as a young man in Academy uniform pulls up alongside, on a chrome blue motorcycle. The students gawk at the young man and his bike in equal awe, as they notice two things: that he rides without any protective gear, and that both his hair and eyes are an intense azure colour. Kinji voices the question that most students are thinking.</p>
<p>“I wonder if <i>that's</i> Tony Sherwood? I've never seen him around the Academy, that's for sure.” Mutō seems uninterested in the rider.</p>
<p>“I'm more fascinated by the bike if I'm honest. Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6 Racing spec, at least that's what it looks like. It's been insanely heavily modified. Absolutely nothing I can see is factory standard. I can't get as close as I'd like, but I can see the chassis has been strengthened, and that there's a considerable amount of firepower on that beauty. He must have come up against some pretty fierce adversaries in the past to believe such firepower is necessary.” Kinji peers closer at the young man, noticing that the bike isn't the only thing heavily armed.</p>
<p>“Speaking of firepower, that guy's carrying a lot of it, for a Butei. I see a pair of SIG Sauer P226 pistols, specifically the Elite Dark variant. A pair of Wakizashi as well. A Stiletto is sheathed in his right boot, and he's got some kind of rifle concealed as well, but I can't tell what kind. He's even more heavily armed than Aria is. I'm not seeing any traces of paranoia on his face, which means he legitimately feels the need for that much weaponry. I'd have to agree with your conclusion that he's faced tough opponents in the past. Possibly even IU.” This catches Aria's attention, as she had been ignoring the male up until now. Before she can comment though, alarms sound on every student's cellphones. Aria looks at the alert, and is gripped by a sense of dread.</p>
<p>“Firefight in progress five hundred metres north of Academy Island. Six assailants, one confirmed with IU, targetting second year student Akari Mamiya. All available Butei to respond immediately.” Shock and concern paralyse Aria, leaving her uncertain of what to do. She doesn't even hear the motorcycle roar as the young man guns the engine, forcing his way onto the pavement in order to bypass the congestion. Mutō seems both disappointed and impressed at the same time.</p>
<p>“I guess he's responding to that call as well. Pretty eager for a transfer student, but I wonder why IU would be targetting a second year like that?” Aria can only sit numbly, feeling helpless to assist her Amica. <i>Akari</i>...</p>
<p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>As Tony races along the pavement, forcing pedestrians to dive out of the way, Ranger talks to him through his earpiece.</p>
<p>“What are you doing, Tony? There's no need for you to get involved in this.” Tony pushes the bike harder, urging it to go faster.</p>
<p>“You saw the announcement too. This firefight has IU involvement. I can't ignore that. I can't ignore <i>her</i> either.” This catches Ranger's attention.</p>
<p>“Akari Mamiya? Do you know her?” Tony shakes his head.</p>
<p>“Only her name. She caught the attention of The Imperial Scorpion: Kyōchikutō. I don't know why that poison-loving psycho was so interested in Akari, but because of that interest, the Top Ten know about her too. Akari's on IU's list of valuable targets. I don't know if this attack is linked to that or not, but as long as IU are watching her, she'll likely be attacked again and again. Eventually, they'll either abduct her, or kill her. I can't allow that.” Ranger takes the information in before responding.</p>
<p>“I understand now. So, what are you going to do? Even if you rescue her, they're just going to keep trying, aren't they? That's how IU works, you know that. Once they're interested in someone, they'll pursue them to death, like a stalker.” Tony doesn't hesitate.</p>
<p>“That doesn't matter. She still needs protecting. This time I'll simply thwart the attack, but in future I may need to take more drastic action. It might be worth seeing that she gets special training, or else special protection, in preparation for the next attack. I <i>do</i> have an alternative in mind if necessary, but I'd hate to employ that tactic too soon. If I draw too much attention to myself, Quinto's going to find out I'm still alive. The longer she believes I'm dead, the better.” Ranger sighs, knowing that she can't win this argument.</p>
<p>“Alright, I guess I can't talk you out of it. Just so you know, you won't have backup for this. Scar and Burnout have been caught in traffic caused by the fight. Ghost and Mantis can't keep up with you to cover you either. You'll arrive at the scene before the Cat Burglar as well, so you're on your own.” Tony doesn't seem bothered by this.</p>
<p>“Don't worry about it, Emily. I fought Quinto by myself and lived, so I can handle these punks as well. Just keep the team updated on the situation. I'll handle the rest.” Tony hears two taps come across the line, and he smiles faintly. <i>Looks like she's finally learned that going silent is the best thing she can do when I'm in combat. Good girl. I need as few distractions as possible. The more I can focus, the better the outcome.</i> As Tony races around the corner, the firefight comes into view two hundred metres away. Two trucks have overturned, while five cars sit abandoned in the road, riddled with bullet holes. A girl with short brunette hair leans against the underside of an overturned truck, blood splashed on her uniform. Tony marks the locations of each attacker in an instant. <i>Two gunners by the coupé to the south, armed with MP5s and Glock 23s. One guy behind the other truck holding an FN SCAR. Nasty weapon, but he's too confident in it. No side-arms. Sniper on the rooftops with a Sako TRG-42, trying to relocate. Two more moving in pincer formation, one armed with an M4 Carbine, the other has a pair of IMI Desert Eagle Mark XIX pistols. That's a lot of firepower for one girl, and she's in bad shape. A single Colt Government Model? She's done well to last this long, but she's cornered and wounded. She won't hold out much longer. If the pincer manoeuvre doesn't catch her, the sniper will. Those are my top priorities, then.</i> The attackers seem too focused on Akari to hear the bike until it's practically on top of them. With his left hand on the bike, Tony draws a P226 from its holster and brings it to bear on the man with the Desert Eagles. He fires three shots, penetrating the man's left kneecap while the other two bullets slam into his armour, driving the wind out of his lungs. Tony is already aiming for the sniper before they even swing their rifle around, and he blindly puts two rounds through the weapon, destroying it. The gunner with the M4 dives aside as Tony opens fire on him, rolling behind the truck and emerging into Akari's blind spot. He realizes too late that this was Tony's plan, and is left unable to defend himself from the rear wheel of the bike as it slams into him. Tony backflips from the bike, catching the gunner in the chin with a sharp kick that renders him unconscious. He fires a volley of warning shots at the other truck, before ducking behind again to reload and to check on Akari. Now that he is up close, he can see that the girl has suffered four strafing injuries, but her most pressing wound is the bullet to her left shoulder. <i>The sniper must have been using armour piercing rounds. No way it could have been the SCAR, too accurate.</i></p>
<p>“Akari Mamiya, I presume. You've held out well, given the shoulder wound. AP rounds are a bitch, but the sniper's disarmed now. I took out a guy with Desert Eagles as well, and this guy of course. That just leaves three more. Are you able to fight?” Akari hesitates, looking uncertain.</p>
<p>“If it was one or two, maybe, but they're well organised, and I don't have much combat experience. I don't even know why they're after me.” Tony places a comforting hand on her right shoulder, smiling reassuringly.</p>
<p>“You've done enough. You've handled this situation better than most your age, so don't feel too badly. Just sit tight. Butei from Medica are en route. You leave the rest of these punks to me. I know where they are, what they're packing, and I've dealt with far worse than these guys before too. You'll get through this just fine. I promise you.” Akari nods, and slides down to the ground, slowing her breathing in order to steady her nerves. Tony draws the other P226, disengaging the safety and loading the first round with clear experience. He takes a few steps forwards, then turns around to face the truck. Instead of going around it, he runs straight at the truck and leaps over it. As he sails through the air, Tony sees the two gunners with MP5s emerge from hiding, seeing him too slowly to realize their predicament. A hail of bullets rains down upon the pair, perforating their legs, their rifles and their side-arms too, before Tony pistol whips them both unconscious in the same move. A shot narrowly misses Tony's head as his first target opts to continue fighting despite his injury, earning an irritated tut from the Butei. Two bullets destroy the Desert Eagles, and another two cripple the man's hands.</p>
<p>“Don't make me waste bullets on you again, punk. Just stay down and don't move. It's over for you.” Pain lances through Tony's left side as several bullets hit his uniform, the armour saving his life. Tony dashes behind cover, firing two shots at the man with the FN SCAR, who sees no need to evade.</p>
<p>“Too cocky, kid. If it wasn't for your uniform, you'd be in Hell right about now. Bet you think you're going to be the hero here, swooping in to save the kid from a group of gunners. Too bad the real world isn't some childish fantasy. Still, you did better than the girl. Guess that makes you a senior student. Even so, you're still just a kid. You've got a lot to learn if you think you can get in my way and live. I'll give you a choice: throw down those pistols and surrender. Do that and I'll let you live. It'd be fun to fight you again someday, when you've finished your training. Or you can try to fight me. I won't hesitate to kill you. So what'll it be?” Tony closes his eyes, denying himself the sense of sight. <i>Thirty metres west. 192 centimetres tall. His tactical vest is thicker than the others, so he won't feel my bullets. Not without a little assistance. That FN SCAR has been modified for use by a left-handed gunner. He's holding position, standing tall. He's aiming for me, one hundred centimetres above ground level. The spread of fire will mean he'll kill me if I emerge crouched, or take out my legs if I emerge standing tall. I could roll, but he's still likely to kill me. I don't know how many rounds he still has in the magazine. It doesn't matter though. I know exactly where he's standing, and I know exactly where his gun is in relation to his body. I can do this. I have four rounds left. One in the right hand gun, three in the left. That's all I need.</i> Tony swings his right hand out, firing the single shot blindly, the chamber of the gun sliding open and staying open. He spins out from his hiding place, seeing his opponent's gun being split apart by the first bullet. Tony lines up his next three shots, and fires them. Two bullets take out the man's knees, while the third slams his gut with unnatural force. A roundhouse kick robs the man of consciousness. </p>
<p>“You underestimated me because of my age. Looks like you still have a lot to learn yourself.” Tony walks back to Akari, and sees that her predicament has exacerbated. She has become pale, and shivers powerfully, while fighting to remain conscious. He drops down beside her, discarding his pistols.</p>
<p>“Akari, stay calm and stay with me. Focus on your breathing, shut everything else out. I'll take care of you, I promise.” The girl seems to show no signs of even hearing him. <i>Shit! Where the Hell are the Butei? She's going into shock, she needs help now. I've got no options left: looks like I have to do everything myself. Something doesn't add up here, but I can't think about that now. I have to focus on saving Akari.</i> Tony holds both hands just above the gunshot wound, and focuses his mind. He feels the surge of energy radiating from the core of his body and channelling into his hands, as a small, rainbow-coloured halo surrounds the injury. <i>The bullet passed through cleanly, no fragments. That makes this easier. Still, it's going to take a lot out of me. Her physiology is different to other people I've used this method on. She shows signs of possessing Paranormal abilities. I can use that to assist in her recovery, though the demand on me will still be great. It has to be done though. She can't hold out indefinitely.</i> While the halo shimmers around the wound, Tony can see the axillary artery healing up smoothly. Other blood vessels that were ruptured or severed completely also repair themselves, while flesh and muscle tissue regenerate and cover the vessels. The skin is just starting to repair itself when Tony's instincts take hold, forcing him to move aside whilst slashing with his Stiletto at the same time. The pitch black blade collides with a serrated dagger made from the same kind of metal. Tony then sees the attacker: the sniper from the rooftop. The sniper strikes faster, kicking the Stiletto out of Tony's hand and slashing at the Butei, forcing him on the defensive as he evades the blade with some desperation. The sniper thrusts for Tony's heart, and the Butei loops his hands around the blade as though tying and invisible knot. When Tony pulls the knot tight, the dagger's blade is severed into six fragments, earning a look of surprise and irritation from the sniper.</p>
<p>“Resourceful. Nanowire, made from Yoruhagane, just like your Stiletto and my dagger. Didn't know the Butei carried that kind of weaponry. Come to think of it, I don't recall seeing your face on the student database. With a face like yours, I know that with certainty. So who the Hell are you?” Tony stands his ground, while his mind formulates strategies and contingencies.</p>
<p>“I'm a transfer student, today's my first day at the Academy. That's why I'm not on the database, they haven't added me yet. They haven't assessed my skills either, which means you don't know how strong I am. So, you must be the leader here, the one from IU. I've not seen your face amongst the list of known operatives, so that means you're not in the top One Hundred. Unless there was a hierarchy shake up that I don't know about. You were smart enough to bring Yoruhagane, for the girl of course, but your cronies are junk. Weak, untrained, unintelligent. You got held off by one girl with a Colt Government Model. You guys are nothing but rank amateurs. You're not worth me going all-out against. You don't even have a weapon left to fight me with.” The sniper smirks.</p>
<p>“Oh? You think so? You're wrong about that.” The man whips off his jacket, drawing a pitch black Estoc from within. Tony sighs as the sword wearily. <i>Yoruhagane again. This guy must be a masochist to hunt psychs, but at least he has the sense to arm himself for that task. Not that it will save him. If he knew who I was, he would never be so foolish as to cross blades with me. Definitely not one of the top One Hundred. Time to end this.</i> Tony draws his Wakizashi from their sheaths, inverting his grip on the left-hand sword to place it in a defensive position. The spines of each sword bear the signature marbled appearance formed from Pattern-welding, while the cutting edges shine with a brilliant platinum-like gleam. The sniper seems disappointed as he looks at the Wakizashi.</p>
<p>“No Paranormal materials? Then this battle is already decided. I'll prove that by killing you, and the girl too.” The sniper lunges forwards with a powerful and confident thrust, aiming for Tony's left side. Tony shifts to his right and sweeps the Estoc with his left Wakizashi, using the force to knock the sniper off balance. With a high speed slash, Tony's right Wakizashi slices through the sniper's armour, inflicting a minor cut just below the lowest rib on the left side. The sniper staggers but maintains his footing, and comes back with a sequence of sharp thrusts, each one targeting Tony's shoulders, hips and heart. Tony reverses his grip on his right Wakizashi before using both blades to parry the thrusts, deflecting them harmlessly. With each deflection the sniper becomes more aggravated, before slashing at Tony's throat. The Estoc stops dead two centimetres from Tony's neck, held firmly by the right Wakizashi. A vicious left hook splits the sniper's bottom lip and knocks out two whole teeth, and breaks several others. Tony uses the momentum to slam the sniper between the shoulder blades with his right heel, toppling his opponent to the ground. Tony stands back, allowing the man to stagger to his feet.</p>
<p>“Amateur. Complete and utter amateur. Simply using Paranormal materials does not guarantee victory. How do you propose to win if you can't even hit me? How do you plan on using Yoruhagane against me if you don't even understand its properties? It's only effective if your target is using Paranormal abilities. I am not, so it would be no more harmful than any other standard metal. Yoruhagane is no stronger or sharper than High-carbon Steel. With the right application of force, the blade will snap. You have chosen to forge an Estoc with Yoruhagane, a poor choice. Yoruhagane is not suited for long, narrow-bladed weapons, but rather for knives and daggers. Short cutting blades subjected to low torsional forces. A thrusting weapon such as an Estoc requires a more flexible material. You wield that Estoc poorly as well. It is not a Rapier. It is not double-edged. It is a false-edged sword. Only the tip of the blade is sharp. The length of the sword is designed to parry and riposte, while the tip is for thrusting between plate armour. Slashing will only break the blade. Not that it makes any difference to you. Even a Yoruhagane Estoc will fail to pierce a Butei's armoured uniform. Surrender, amateur. Do not make your defeat any more shameful than it has already become.” The sniper sneers at Tony, exuding confidence despite his extreme disadvantage.</p>
<p>“Still so sure of your own victory, when you fail to grasp the scope of your situation. You have never once had the upper-hand in this battle, and you still remain blind to it.” Tony senses the attack and spins around, swatting aside two bullets aimed for his head with the right-hand Wakizashi, but six more shots hammer his jacket, cracking two ribs on his right side. He shuts out the pain as best he can, continuing his evasion to spin his body around the Estoc, so that it only scratches the left side of his neck. With momentum on his side, Tony flips the left-hand Wakizashi to an attacking position and slashes upwards. The sniper fails to see the golden flash in Tony's eyes, and the Wakizashi severs the blade of the Estoc effortlessly. He throws his right-hand Wakizashi at the man with the M4 Carbine, who is in the process of swapping out magazines, before grabbing the severed Estoc blade and thrusting backwards with it and his other Wakizashi with a surge of anger. <i>Wait, don't!</i> At the last moment, both blades change their vector and pierce the sniper's shoulders, instead of the throat as they were originally aimed for. The sniper falls back with a cry of pain, knocking themselves unconscious as their head smacks the tarmac. Tony turns back to face the man with the M4, who flees as fast as he can while clutching his right arm, and the severed remains of his rifle. Tony reaches under his jacket to pull out the butt stock and barrel of an Accuracy International Arctic Warfare Magnum, attaching one to the other deftly. He forgoes attaching the scope, loads the magazine and pulls the bolt to load the first round, before dropping to a crouch. <i>You should never run in a straight line. You're just a fish in a barrel.</i> Tony fires a single shot, the bullet's impact putting the fleeing gunman into a spin as a spray of scarlet erupts from their right buttock. The man falls to the ground with a curse cut short by the loud thud of his impact. Pounding footsteps draw Tony's attention to the south, where he sees a number of Butei running towards the scene, as well as two cars. <i>Finally</i>. He retrieves the thrown Wakizashi and the Stiletto, sheathing both. He retrieves his Elite Darks as well, reloading those before engaging the safety and holstering them. The first to reach Tony is a woman, only slightly older than him, with crimson hair tied in a tail and intense steel eyes.</p>
<p>“What's the situation?” Tony gestures to the wounded sniper as he begins his report.</p>
<p>“This one here is the leader. He and five others, who now lay scattered around and disarmed, attacked this girl, Akari Mamiya. I don't know the motive, I just responded to the call. They were somewhat well organised, at least, enough so to corner and pin down a second year. The sniper hit Akari with an armour piercing round. I arrived just as he and two others were moving in for the kill. I wounded the guy with the Mark XIXs before taking out the leader's Sako TRG, then I took down the guy with the M4 Carbine over there.” Tony points to the man who still tries to crawl away, and two Butei students run over to restrain him.</p>
<p>“Or so I thought at the time. I assessed Akari's injuries, before taking out two guys armed with MP5s and Glock 23s. They're still down last I checked, next to the coupé. The guy with the Desert Eagles got off a shot that missed, so I took out his guns, but I overlooked the guy with the FN SCAR. Eight shots to my left side. Hurt like a bitch but I've been through worse. I disarmed him and knocked him out before returning to Akari. I had to tend to the gunshot before she went into shock. The sniper tried to sneak attack me using a Yoruhagane dagger, but he underestimated me. I broke the dagger with Nanowire, then he turned it into a sword fight. A Yoruhagane Estoc... just a bad idea all around. He kept me focused on him though, so I didn't hear the guy with the M4 get back up. I deflected two intended headshots, but six more rounds hit my chest. I sustained two cracked ribs. The sniper tried to get me from behind, but like I said: he underestimated me. I severed his blade and took him down, and disarmed the M4 guy as well. He tried to flee, so I shot him. Wasn't actually aiming for his arse, but I'll take the hit. Right now I'd say the perps are in a far worse state than Akari is. They'll need priority treatment to patch them up before they can be questioned. Akari will need a check-up as well though. I patched up her shoulder for the most part, but I didn't get to finish the job.” A tall, glamorous woman with curly blonde hair flowing loosely to her hips and piercing lime green eyes gestures to the various wounded, and several Butei carry the gunmen away. She then crouches beside Akari, examining the girl's left shoulder with curiosity. She turns to Tony, utterly perplexed.</p>
<p>“I thought you said she was shot with an armour piercing round? This looks... more like a graze than a gunshot wound.” Tony hesitates. <i>I have no choice but to tell her. I can't hide it now.</i></p>
<p>“By focusing my Paranormal energy, I was able to accelerate Akari's cellular regeneration by a factor of three hundred. I was able to repair the worst of the damage, but I couldn't finish the treatment. I'm in no condition to try that now either. I was scratched with a Yoruhagane blade. Only a scratch, but it'll still cripple me if I use my abilities. I already used them once, very briefly, and I'm paying the toll for that. I don't <i>think</i> she'll scar, but she could do with a transfusion to replenish the lost blood. Aside from that, she's in good shape. Better than when I found her for sure.” The woman looks at Tony with a faint sense of awe.</p>
<p>“You were able to accelerate her cellular regeneration to that extent? With Paranormal abilities? Even SSR's aces aren't capable of boosting recovery to <i>that</i> level. I'd tread lightly if I were you, or they'll be fighting tooth and nail to snap you up into their group. Although, judging by your uh... handiwork, I'd say Assault are likely to try and grab hold of you too. Isn't that right, Ranbyō?” The crimson-haired woman glares at the blonde intensely.</p>
<p>“Oi, Yui! Don't go making my Assault students sound like a bunch of common groupies. Sure, the kid's got potential, but I'll wait until his assessment before deciding whether he's actually worthy. You worry about your own department. Something tells me the rookie's not looking to join Medica, right, newbie?” Tony frowns disapprovingly.</p>
<p>“Tony, if you don't mind. As for your question, probably not. I'm not all that good with medical knowledge. I'm better at hurting people than patching them up. I can do a decent job of fixing people up with a little help from my Paranormal talents, but actually using medicines and bandages and the like is a bit out of my scope. Plus my bedside manner is pretty cold and clinical. I'm not one for giving a crap about people, which might be ironic for a Butei. I deal in facts rather than feelings is what I'm trying to say. I'd imagine Medica students would be a little warmer than that, and less closed off. Not my area at all really.” Yui only looks slightly disappointed.</p>
<p>“Well, I guess I should've seen that coming. It's lucky you got here when you did though, otherwise Akari would have been lost.” Tony shakes his head.</p>
<p>“Luck doesn't factor into it really. She's alive because I'm me. Most students either walk or take the bus. I don't reside at the dorms, so walking's a bit far. The bus was out of the question too. A third year transfer like me on a bus full of Butei? I could do without the headache that comes from a barrage of questions. I came by motorbike instead, which had the added advantage of being able to bypass the congestion this firefight created. Any other mode of transportation, and Akari would have been a goner. I think fast and make snap decisions. My intuition has also been described as clairvoyant. I was able to assess the situation and decide the correct course of action almost immediately, I just made a marginal error when estimating the resilience of these thugs. They really didn't want to take defeat lying down. Pride seems to be at work here. Their egos were bruised by being held off by a single girl for so long, and it made them all the more stubborn. Idiots.” Akari struggles to her feet, with the assistance of Yui. She bows gratefully to Tony.</p>
<p>“Thank you for saving me. I don't know what I can do to repay you, but if you ever need help, I'll do what I can to help out.” Tony smiles faintly.</p>
<p>“Let's wait until this case is solved first, shall we? As I said earlier, I don't know the motives of these attackers. The more I look at the situation, the more I draw blanks. Six guys, all for one girl. Considerable firepower as well, especially from the FN SCAR, the Desert Eagles, and the leader's Yoruhagane weapons. It's <i>there</i> more than anywhere else that I'm getting stuck.” Akari looks up at Tony curiously.</p>
<p>“Yoruhagane?” Tony points to the black Estoc blade as the sniper gets hauled away.</p>
<p>“That. Yoruhagane is a Paranormal material. Specifically it's an organic crystalline metal. When smelted and forged, the resulting metal is equivalent to 1095 High-carbon Steel in terms of weight, strength, hardness, workability and structural integrity. The key feature of Yoruhagane is its Paranormal properties, which are twofold. Yoruhagane is a toxic substance, in fact it would be more accurate to describe it as a venom. Once it makes contact with blood, Yoruhagane seeps into the victim's blood vessels and spreads throughout the body, <i>however</i>; this is entirely harmless in most people, unless the secondary attribute is triggered. The second feature of Yoruhagane is its interaction with Paranormal energy, which put simply is violent. If you use a Paranormal ability after being cut with a Yoruhagane weapon, you will experience a severe and debilitating agony that will radiate throughout your entire body. It will feel as though your nerves have been set ablaze. Even a shallow cut is enough to disrupt your abilities and forcefully shut them down. A serious injury followed by sufficient ability usage will result in death, of the excruciating kind. Which brings me to the biggest mystery of this situation: why the need for Yoruhagane? What could they want it for?” Akari speaks up after a moment's hesitation.</p>
<p>“Um... I have a Paranormal ability... it might be because of that.” Tony studies the girl closely.</p>
<p>“Possibly, but something doesn't feel right. There are far easier methods to hand for bypassing Paranormal abilities. It's the actions that the group took that causes my hesitation. While the guy with the FN SCAR <i>did</i> say that he planned on killing you, this whole firefight seems unnecessary if that were the case. If that was the goal from the outset, a sniper would have been a better option. One shot, and the goal is accomplished, but that's not what happened. Nor does it strike me as being likely that they planned on taking you alive. Again, the firefight was not needed. You could have been sedated and taken away without anyone seeing if these people had wanted that outcome, but instead they made a big scene. So if they weren't trying to kill you, and they weren't trying to kidnap you, what <i>were</i> they doing, in reality? There's a piece of the puzzle missing here, but I doubt these guys will give it up in an interrogation. Anything they <i>do</i> give up is only likely to further obscure the big picture.” A calm male voice responds to this.</p>
<p>“Astute deductions. I'd more or less come to the same conclusions myself on the way here. After hearing about the usage of Yoruhagane, I have to agree with you, that this doesn't add up as a normal attack. Then again, it's not like IU to do things normally.” Tony glances at Kinji curiously as the young man arrives.</p>
<p>“Maybe not, but this isn't IU's typical style. This isn't a case of capture or kill, even by IU's standards. If they wanted Akari brought into the organization, they'd send someone with Paranormal abilities. If they wanted her dead, she would be. There's two possibilities: either the sniper was acting of his own volition... or else Akari isn't the actual target. By which I mean they attacked her in order to draw out their <i>true</i> target.” Kinji looks at Tony with surprise.</p>
<p>“How much do you know about IU? You sound remarkably certain of your hypothesis, which means you've had experience with them, personally.” Tony's eyes narrow imperceptibly, but waves aside the question casually.</p>
<p>“I've crossed paths with them more frequently than I care to count, and that's all I have to say on the matter at this juncture. Suffice to say I know them better than I'd like to. Then again, maybe I'd like to know them better than I already do. I <i>would</i> like to bring them down after all, but then I suppose I'm not the only Butei with reasons to seek out that end. Save the questions, I won't answer them.” Kinji decides against commenting on this.</p>
<p>“So you think that the sniper was acting against his orders. Is that likely? How often does an IU operative go against orders?” Tony shrugs.</p>
<p>“If you're looking for a specific frequency of insurrection, you're out of luck. Incidents like this are somewhat rare, best I can tell, but not unheard of. I'm pretty sure the rebellion against the Roman Reaper wasn't ordered. If anything, this attack is something like that: an internal power struggle. IU can get pretty competitive from what I gather, and fights break out between people seeking more power. But like I said, that's just one theory. I intend to explore both avenues, and see if this was just a plan to draw out a bigger target.” Aria appears next to Kinji, studying Tony suspiciously.</p>
<p>“You know about the rebellion against the Roman Reaper?” Tony nods.</p>
<p>“Well it <i>did</i> make international headlines. You can't exactly crucify someone outside the Vatican and expect the world not to know about it. I suppose I know a little more than most though, after crossing paths with an IU witness to the event. We exchanged certain words... and certain bullets too. The Roman Reaper is just a lesser known nickname for The Professor, IU's former Number Four. Which makes the rebellion all the more surprising. After that incident, there's been less power struggles, that I'm aware of at any rate, which makes me question whether this firefight was really an act of insurrection. Hm, I'm not going to get anything figured out any time soon. I'll have to wait until these guys have been questioned before I look any deeper. If I rush through now, I'll just tangle myself up in a maze of possibilities. The last thing I want to do is cripple myself with a mountain of 'if,' so I should take a step back until I have more to work with.” A young woman with long chestnut hair and pale golden eyes behind black-framed glasses joins the group. She has a rather motherly vibe to her, but her presence puts Tony on edge. <i>Isn't that... Bloody Yutori? The ruthless mercenary? How the heck did she end up working with the Butei?</i> The woman addresses Kinji directly.</p>
<p>“Well, Mr Tōyama, what do you make of him?” Kinji hesitates a moment.</p>
<p>“If you're asking for my evaluation, Miss Takamagahara, then I'd say he's an A Rank. He's observant, very sharp and perceptive, with good intuitions and formidable powers of deduction. Aside from a delay in his cognitive processes, a hesitation it seems, there also seems to be the problem with him ignoring one possibility, almost desperately. Inquesta students have to look at the facts, whether we like them or not. Sherwood seems to be avoiding the possibility that this was an IU-ordered attack, as a means of diverting attention away from their other activities. I can't assess him as an S Rank with that in mind, but certainly he exceeds B Rank.” Tony starts at this.</p>
<p>“Wait what? <i>He's</i> assessing me? Isn't he a student like me? I thought assessments would be carried out by the instructors.” Kinji nods slowly.</p>
<p>“Normally they would be, but for reasons I've not yet been told, you're an exception. You'll be getting assessed by Department Aces instead of instructors. That reminds me, I've not introduced myself. Kinji Tōyama, Inquesta Department. I don't consider <i>myself</i> to be an Ace, but others disagree.” Aria stomps on Kinji's foot.</p>
<p>“What was that? <i>Inquesta</i>? Have you forgotten that you're partnered with me on Assault? And stop being so modest about your abilities. You and I both know that's a load of crap.” Tony looks to question Aria, when he catches something from the corner of his eye.</p>
<p>“Hey! Back away from my bike! It's expensive.” Mutō jumps back a step at Tony's shout, but he doesn't retreat any further than that, completely captivated by the vehicle.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I can see that. Damn! I only caught a glimpse from the bus, but now that I'm up close, I can see the full beauty of this beast. I'm not even going to comment on the additions you've made to it. Kinji's pretty much sussed out the reason anyway, and I don't really care about that. All I care about is the specs. That, and I'd like to know who did all the work.” Tony scratches his left eyebrow irately.</p>
<p>“I did. As for the specs, I can't confirm. Haven't really had the time or the opportunity to properly test it all out. What I <i>can</i> tell you is that I replaced the engine with an 800cc one, and twin turbocharged it. I installed a seven speed gearbox of my own design. Maximum power output is 950 bhp, torque output is 1,186 Nm. I've shed the weight to one hundred kilograms, which wasn't easy considering the <i>additions</i>, or the fuel capacity for that matter, which now sits at 30 litres. Fuel consumption has improved, to 130 kpg. Top speed is an estimated 350kph, but I haven't confirmed that yet. 0-100kph in 2.9 seconds, and to 160kph in 3.5 seconds. I recently overhauled the suspension to reduce vibrations. Riding that thing for a long time with that much power gets a little uncomfortable after a while. It's a lot smoother now.” Mutō looks at Tony with begging eyes.</p>
<p>“Can I feel it?” Tony sighs.</p>
<p>“Fine, but break my bike and I'll break your soul.” Mutō seems completely unfazed by the threat, and starts up the bike. He listens to the engine's roar, and caresses the chassis.</p>
<p>“Holy mother of God! I can barely feel any vibrations at all! It's just a gentle hum.” Miss Takamagahara turns to Mutō as he switches off the bike's engine.</p>
<p>“Does he live up to your expectations?” Mutō shakes his head.</p>
<p>“No, he's exceeded them. S Rank without a doubt.” Tony does a double take.</p>
<p>“W-what? S Rank? H-how?” Mutō gestures to the bike.</p>
<p>“Mostly because of this. No-one in Logi could carry out that level of vehicle modification. Not even the instructors are <i>that</i> good. I only caught a glimpse of your driving skills, but I think it's safe to say they're more than sufficient for an S Rank. If you were to join Logi Department, you'd be made top Ace in an instant.” Tony shows no outward reaction to this. <i>Are you fucking kidding me? That's two strikes against me already, and I didn't even know I was being assessed. I was aiming to be rated as a low-end A Rank at best, and yet here I am getting a high-end A Rank rating for Inquesta and an S Rank for Logi. This shit is snowballing on me and I don't even know what to do about it. My Medica score will legitimately be fairly low, I don't have to fake that, but at this rate I'll be ranked highly for Amdo, Assault, Sniper, Connect, Informa, Repier, Lezzad, SSR and possibly Ambulace as well. Only Medica and Dagula are liable to be low, without faking it. When I get my hands on Riko for this I'm going to tear her a billion new ones.</i> Tony glances to his left, and sees a girl with dark green hair in a short bob cut. She wears the Academy uniform, but there is much charring and patching on her clothing, as though it has been damaged and repaired endlessly. The girl wears gold-framed glasses, with additional magnification lenses attached. Her eyes are a deep emerald colour. Tony jumps at the sight of her, practically touching him without his notice.</p>
<p>“Jeez, where did you spring from? You've got like zero presence.” The girl seems to ignore the comment as she scrutinizes Tony's Stiletto intensely.</p>
<p>“Roberta Hode, Amdo Department, and I'm rather proud of my lack of presence. Enough about that. This Stiletto is quite extraordinary. The double-edged blade is Yoruhagane, measuring twelve centimetres in length and one centimetre at the widest point. Very narrow even for a Stiletto. The hilt is Tungsten Carbide and wrapped with Kevlar cord. Cruciform design but with some artistic elegance. Seems a little unnecessary, but I appreciate the beauty of it. The design of the blade suggests it's intended for piercing armour. It's considerably sharper than most Yoruhagane weapons I deal with. Weight is precisely one hundred fifty grams, centre of balance is the cross-guard itself. The blade is so well balanced I would describe it as perfect. I could handle this all day and not get bored of it.”  The girl hands the Stiletto back to Tony, but as he takes it, she grabs one of the pistols from its holster, moving faster than his eye could perceive.</p>
<p>“By the way, I'm a Paranormal. Enhanced Agility, as you can see. Or not, actually. It'd be easier if you didn't resist. I'm only interested in your weapons. SIG Sauer P226, Elite Dark variant. Chambered for 9mm Parabellum rounds. The magazines have been extended to hold 20 rounds. Custom made weapon light and variable power scope, as well as threading for a shot suppressor, which you don't seem to be carrying. You've shed fifty grams in excess weight from the gun without compromising structural integrity or balance. Firing modes are semi-automatic and three-round burst, that's pretty impressive. The grips too seem to be custom made, and much more comfortable than the standard without compromising traction. Interesting.” Roberta ejects the magazine, and inspects it briefly, before inserting one from her pocket. She loads the first round before aiming at a cluster of spent bullet casings scattered twenty metres away. She fires at each one in rapid succession, stopping only when the chamber slides open. Each bullet casing has been hit with a paintball round.</p>
<p>“The scope is perfect, for lack of a better word. The balance is precise, firing action is smooth, recoil is minimal. The fire spread is almost non-existent. Each shot went exactly where I wanted it to.” She ejects the spent magazine and replaces it with the original, before handing the gun back to Tony, safety engaged. When he takes the pistol, he fully expects her to try taking the rifle, but she doesn't.</p>
<p>“No interest in the Accuracy International then?” Roberta shakes her head.</p>
<p>“I don't like rifles. Just big metal pipes that spit bullets long range. There's no beauty in that. I'm only interested in beautiful weapons.” Footsteps draw Tony's attention as a Butei approaches carrying his other Wakizashi. <i>Ah, so they pulled it out of the sniper then</i>. The Butei holds it out to Tony.</p>
<p>“Your sword, sir.” Tony hesitates. <i>Sir? Seriously?</i> Tony blinks, and the Wakizashi is gone. He looks at Roberta, and notices with irritation that she is holding the blade. Unlike with the pistol or the Stiletto, she is far from emotionless when handling the Wakizashi. She inspects the sword closely, sniffing it frantically, breathing heavily and, Tony notices with some concern, drooling slightly.</p>
<p>“Wh-what is <i>this</i>? This... this beautiful angel! Oh my! I seriously believe I may be holding onto one of God's creations. Seigyokukō tsuka wrapped in Kevlar cord and azure satin Itō. Double pegged, naturally, with bamboo of course, nothing else would suffice. Seigyokukō tsuba as well, depicting an angel's wing and a demon's wing. The painstaking detailing on the feathers is truly breathtaking, but the blade! Oh but the blade is truly divine! Seventy two centimetres and curved, of course, a straight blade on a Wakizashi is just blasphemy. I'm smelling Low-carbon Steel, Chrome-silicon Spring Steel, High-carbon and Ultra High-carbon Steel arranged in the Soshu Kitae method of Ma-Ma-MASAMUNE!!” Tony looks at Roberta with a somewhat frightened expression at this last, ecstatic cry, but before he can comment on it the girl corrects her own observations, albeit with flushed cheeks.</p>
<p>“No wait a minute, there's nine layers here. Low-carbon Steel core as you'd expect, Chrome-silicon Spring Steel makes for an ingenious Medium Steel component resting between the core and outermost layer, the latter being pattern-welded High-carbon and Ultra High-carbon Steel, just like the spine and cutting edge, but oh! That's where I went wrong. That platinum-like gleam below the hamon... that's Iridium isn't it? The durability and lasting keenness provided by Iridium edging is nothing short of divine, and barely adds any weight. The balance is perfect, just like your Stiletto. Oh my! You've gone on to improve upon Masamune's infamous Soshu Kitae lamination method. Are you single? Because I could use a man like you to be my husband.” Tony takes back the Wakizashi and sheaths it, his expression becoming impatient and irritated.</p>
<p>“You're crazy.” Ranbyō claps a hand on Roberta's right shoulder.</p>
<p>“Settle down idiot, and report.” Roberta straightens out her glasses and clothing, regaining her composure.</p>
<p>“In all honesty, I don't know what to say. Rank S would be insulting to his weapon modification skills. Not only can he work Paranormal materials, but the weapons he customizes become both beautiful and efficient. He combines aesthetics with performance flawlessly. I feel like an E Rank compared to his mastery of weapon modification. He should be <i>instructing</i> Amdo, not studying in it. His talent is easily at the level of a Master. But, because he's still a student, we can't rate him as a Master. With no other grade that even comes close, we <i>have</i> to rate him as an S Rank. I resent having to insult his talent like that, but I don't have any other choice. Not unless we invent a whole new rank for him.” Tony has to fight his urge to bury his face in his hands. <i>What in God's name is wrong with these people? How can they think I'm so great? The Butei I've fought in the past were far from incompetent. The ones who died by my hand were skilled enough to stop me from holding back against them. I guess this is what happens when you let students assess instead of instructors. This is a total disaster!</i> Aria notices Tony's expression with curiosity.</p>
<p>“Something wrong? You don't seem happy with your assessment.” Tony shakes his head.</p>
<p>“I don't see how I've done enough to be rated so highly. I can't honestly say that I put a whole lot of effort into my weapons, or my bike for that matter, and yet I get rated an S Rank for both? Even my Inquesta assessment was higher than I was expecting. I don't think it's fair to rate me so highly when I really haven't done anything to earn those ranks. I didn't think it would be so easy to achieve S Rank ratings, and here I am with two, and I haven't even finished being assessed yet. At this rate I'm liable to receive at least five more S Rank ratings. I think Dagula and Medica are the only departments where I <i>won't</i> achieve S Rank, based on how easy things have been so far. Even then it looks like I'll be given an A Rank without really trying. I mean it almost feels as if everyone's going easy on me. I mean if this is how easy it is to be rated S Rank, then it's no wonder so many Butei are getting killed off by IU. They're being falsely evaluated and taking on opponents they're not actually skilled enough to challenge.” Aria glares at Tony angrily.</p>
<p>“You know, you really shouldn't speak so poorly about the Butei while I'm around. I'm one student you don't want to get on the wrong side of.” Tony looks at her sceptically and speaks coldly.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry, does the truth bother you? What's it to you anyway, kid?” Kinji takes a step back as he feels Aria's anger emanating from her. <i>Uh-oh. Aria really hates it when people mistake her for a child</i>.</p>
<p>“Aria, calm down. He didn't mean it. He doesn't know who you are.” Tony's scepticism gives way to shock at this. <i>Wait, </i>that's<i> Aria Kanzaki? That pipsqueak is the fourth Holmes? How in God's name did this miniscule pink-haired brat survive against Vlad? He should have squished her like an ant! Hell, I'm worried that I'll end up tripping over this little runt</i>. Aria charges at Tony, reaching for her guns at the same time. Tony kicks his rifle aside and draws his pistols, disengaging the safety before firing two rounds at Aria, his bullets colliding with hers to deflect them away from him. His shots deflect inwards as well, but narrowly miss Aria, who continues firing as she closes the gap with surprising speed. Tony deflects whichever shots he can with his own bullets, and evades the ones he can't. A heartbeat later, and Aria aims a kick for Tony's right temple, hitting only air as he sweeps himself out of the way and fires close range at Aria's kidney. His shot barely misses, but Aria's returning shot doesn't, clipping Tony's left bicep and throwing off his next shot. As Aria strikes again, aiming to trip Tony, he adjusts his footing before planting himself solidly, absorbing Aria's impact and rendering her attack useless. She disengages from the attack in time to dodge two bullets, but a third clips her right flank, hitting like a hammer at this close range. Tony fires several more shots, intending to hold Aria at bay and prevent her from engaging him in hand-to-hand combat. Aria throws shots at Tony too, trying to keep him on his feet and distract him from figuring out her plan. <i>He's good, but at close range he can't keep up with me. I hate to admit it, but my small size puts me at an advantage against him in hand-to-hand, even if my attacks lack the necessary force and speed to topple him off-balance. He's keeping me away to stop me exploiting his weakness. As if I'd give up the advantage that easily</i>. After evading four more shots, Aria jumps up onto the overturned truck, then dives off it again, tucking herself into a roll and casting her Colts aside as she aims for Tony. As she rolls, she sees Tony throw aside his P226s, and realises her mistake too late to do anything about it. Using the index and middle fingers held extended in an imitation of a gun, Tony jabs Aria's clavicles with shocking force, breaking her collarbones. As she flips over, Tony grabs Aria, twists her around, then slams her into the ground in a German Suplex. Aria feels more bones breaking upon impact, and barely clings to consciousness. Tony releases her, before retrieving his pistols and his rifle.</p>
<p>“I wasn't pushing you back because I was at a disadvantage. I was doing it because <i>you</i> were. I was doing it for your own protection. The Sherwood family pioneered and specializes in a little known hand-to-hand combat style known as Manu de Mortis. It is passed on from one generation to the next, but only to the oldest males . The females learn a different technique, one which I really didn't want to know about to be honest: Naturale Eius Debent de Mortis. Suffice to say, you really need to think thrice before trying to screw with a Sherwood girl. Literally.” Yui looks at Tony with a mixture of horror and curiosity.</p>
<p>“There's a part of me that wants to know how that technique works, and a part of me that doesn't. By the way, I should take a closer look at your neck. The blood vessels surrounding the scratch you received are starting to darken.” Tony shrugs as he takes out a small case from within his jacket. Inside it is a small bottle filled with pale blue liquid, and a cloth. He pours some of the liquid on the cloth, and presses that against his neck..</p>
<p>“The part of you that doesn't want to know is the part you should listen to. The answer will give you nightmares. Anyway, you should probably be taking a look at Aria. I broke both her clavicles, and I'm pretty sure she suffered at least two broken thoracic vertebrae as well. She'll need treatment for that, and I'm in no condition or mood to do it myself. I can take care of my injury just fine. I'm using a solution of Iodine and Seigyokukō to counteract the Yoruhagane. Still, I don't know what her deal is, but launching an attack like that with live ammunition must be in breach of the rules. She seemed pretty intent on breaking Article 9.” Ranbyō glances at Aria, then to Tony.</p>
<p>“I think that was her idea of assessing you, but it looks like she bit off more than she could chew. She got emotionally compromised. So did you for that matter. Your skills are impressive, but if you can't keep a cool head, you're basically a loose cannon. As an A Rank, you're worthy of joining Assault. Just keep your emotions in check in future, deal?” Tony turns his back on her and walks towards the Academy.</p>
<p>“I'll wait until the assessments are over before deciding which department to join, but it won't be Assault. Joining the same department as that midget would just be a recipe for disaster. She'll be looking for a rematch soon enough, and I doubt next time it'll end so cleanly. There may well be blood. I have enough headaches to deal with without having a volatile pipsqueak on my case every day. Sorry, but you'll have to look elsewhere for new Assault students.”</p>
<p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Tony stands at the front of classroom 3-C with a stern expression on his face. <i>Well, at least I'm not in the same class as Aria. That's just about the only good thing to happen so far today. I can't believe it. I set out to be evaluated as an upper B Rank or lower A Rank. Instead, I'm an S Rank. SSR, Sniper, Informa, Connect, Lezzad and Repier all rated me as S Rank. Dagula, Ambulace and even Medica rated me as A Rank, though it was by the skin of my teeth in Medica and Dagula's cases. Well, after everything that happened, there was no point in trying to avoid an S Rank. Still, I held back where I could. There was no way to avoid gaining attention after rescuing Akari, and then again after beating Aria in a fight. By then, my rating stopped being important. No-one's ever bested Aria in combat, so doing so means that the whole school knows about it, and knows that I did it. And so begins my eternal migraine</i>. Tony shakes free from his thoughts as the teacher: a middle-aged man with short black hair, stern grey eyes, and a faded scar on the right side of his jaw gestures to him, speaking with a Tohoku accent. </p>
<p>“Mr Sherwood, would you like to say a few words?” Tony nods and steps forwards to address the class.</p>
<p>“My name is Tony M Sherwood. It's nice to meet all of you, and I hope we can get along smoothly. I'm not a fan of conflict, as the incident with Aria might have shown you, so I think we would all benefit from avoiding arguments.” A hand shoots up dead centre of the classroom, and Roberta stands.</p>
<p>“Have you decided upon a department yet? I mean, there's no pressure for you to join me in Amdo, but you'd fit in nicely with your God-like expertise.” Tony looks at Roberta condescendingly.</p>
<p>“That's not going to happen. First of all, I don't want you drooling all over my weapons. Again. Second, you get <i>way</i> too excited over 'beautiful' weapons, as you call them, and that's seriously disturbing, and I can see it giving me no end of migraines. No, I've chosen to work with Inquesta Department. As one of the areas which <i>didn't</i> rate me as an S Rank, I see the possibility for me to develop there. I can improve my skills and get better. It certainly seems like I could stand to do that. I <i>could</i> have joined Dagula, Ambulace or Medica with that logic, but I don't see that working out too well for me. As Ranbyō-sensei pointed out: I'm too emotionally unstable. That rules me out for Dagula, where I'm liable to be provoked, endlessly. As I said to Takanashi-sensei as well, I'd be no good for Medica due to my poor bedside manner. Ambulace was a tempting possibility, but I believe I can put my skills to better use in Inquesta. There are other students more suited to Ambulace than I am.” Many students look disappointed by the news, while the teacher; Yoshio Watanuki, seems faintly pleased. He masks this quickly and addresses the class authoritatively.</p>
<p>“That'll be enough for the questions now class. Save the rest for break times and free periods. Mr Sherwood, if you'd like to take an empty seat of your choice.” Tony nods and walks along the rows. He sees no desk that he has a preference for, but finds himself sitting down beside a girl with short, light blue hair, golden eyes, and an emotionless expression. She wears bright orange headphones, yet her hearing does not seem to be impaired. <i>Reki, the Sniper Department's Ace. Of all my assessors, she seemed the fairest, and yet the most mysterious. I still don't know how exactly she can hear so clearly with those headphones on, but my theory is that they've been customized, with microphones built into the exterior somewhere so she can still hear just fine. As for </i>why<i> she wears headphones in the first place, well that's anyone's guess. I think I did a good job of hiding my skills during the assessment, but I still ended up becoming the sixth best sniper in the Academy, somehow. Reki's number one, and Watanuki up there is number two. At least I didn't have to fake the trembling. That firefight earlier shook something loose in my mind, and the fight against Aria only made it worse. When Reki noticed the trembling, she called an end to the assessment. I know she saw it, but she didn't comment on it. I'm grateful for that. I don't even know how I'd answer any questions about it. I haven't had the time to figure out why I started trembling, but I have a strong feeling it was triggered by me almost killing that IU punk. I only </i>just<i> managed to suppress my killer instinct. I'll have to be much more careful in future. I came far too close to breaking Article 9 on my first day, and the day isn't even over yet. I need to keep that side of me on a tighter leash. I can't risk ceding control to it. I'm already drowning in blood, I don't want to add more to the infinite ocean.</i></p>
<p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Riko climbs the staircase with a sense of foreboding, her anxiety growing with each step. In her hands, she clutches a folded note; the source of her anxiety. <i>'Rooftop. Lunchtime. We need to talk.' That's what Tony's note said. That's all it said in writing at least, but the emotion behind it is that he's pissed off. He was supposed to be rated fairly averagely. Instead, he's one of the highest S Ranks in the Academy, and he wasn't even trying. I should have told him that the Aces would be assessing him. I just thought the surprise would be a little fun, and would help him pull off a convincing display of mediocre skills. Instead it backfired on me, and he failed to hide his talents. He's going to tear me the biggest new one in the history of torn new ones.</i> Riko reaches the top of the staircase to see the roof access left wide open. Tony stands straight ahead, leaning against the fence and looking out across Academy Island. She walks up to within a metre of him, then stops, heart racing fearfully as she waits for him to talk. After three painful minutes, he breaks the silence.</p>
<p>“Even from up here, I can hear so many students talking about me. The girls all talk about me like I'm some kind of dashing hero with a shady past and a troubled heart. They talk about me having great emotional pain and childhood traumas and shit like that. They talk about some other pretty stupid stuff that seems to excite them or else make them swoon, but I'll try to ignore that. The guys on the other hand see me as being dangerous. Well, I can't say I blame them. Several have noticed the scar from where Tanya shot me. They know I've taken a bullet to the brain and lived, and that makes them uneasy. They see me as being very dark and sinister, and seem paranoid that I'll shoot them at any moment. Basically they see the old me, the me that I've been suppressing for the last two years. The guys are also aware of the idle gossip of the girls, and suddenly think that they'll never get dates now that I'm here. They seem to think that I'll form some kind of Butei harem, and that they'll be single forever. This place is truly full of idiots. I just never knew Butei were stupid. What happened to them? Was their some kind of reform while I was out of action? I've fought hundreds of Butei in the past. None of them were stupid, and none of them were weak. They just didn't match me is all. Even so, I respected those Butei. There was a sense of honour when killing them. If I were to kill any of these idiots though, there'd be no honour, no respect, no nothing. It would just be like stepping on an ant. How the Hell did the Butei turn into <i>this</i>? This mob of daydreaming, half-brained, no-talent losers who don't deserve to carry a Butei license? I just don't get what happened to them.” Riko doesn't know how to respond to this, so she just says the only thing on her mind.</p>
<p>“Tony I-” Tony cuts her off.</p>
<p>“You don't need to apologize, Riko. It's alright.” As Riko falters, unsure how to proceed, Tony turns around to face her with a calm expression, no anger showing anywhere.</p>
<p>“I'm not mad at you, honest. I mean I <i>was</i>, briefly, but that time has passed already. Once I let my brain catch up, I realised that I was screwed before I even got assessed. I was screwed the moment I swooped in to rescue Akari. A third year transfer rescuing a fellow Butei from six gunmen on his first day? How often does something like that even happen with <i>existing</i> students? There's no way I could avoid being centre of attention from that alone, so my Rank really means jack shit in the long run. It wasn't enough for me to go and pull off a heroic stunt like that, but then I went and beat down Aria the Quadra. I still can't believe that <i>that</i> microscopic pain in the arse is Holmes IV. I was expecting someone older, more mature, and definitely taller. She is nothing like her mother at all. If you were to tell me that those two weren't actually related, I'd believe it.” Riko nods, sensing that Tony legitimately isn't angry, and stands beside him.</p>
<p>“Yeah, but that girl is full of surprises though, so keep your guard up around her all the same. She will <i>definitely</i> seek a rematch with you, today if she can manage it. And I heard from Ranger everything that happened with Akari. The sniper, so you know, is Number 117 apparently, no alias to go by though. I don't really understand why he'd attack Akari either. I can see you're going to want more info on her. There'll be a background report waiting for you at home. I don't know her full story though, so you might want to speak to Akari herself. I know that she was able to best Kyōchikutō in a fight though. It took some setting up to get them in a one-on-one away from civilians, but once it came down to the actual fight, there wasn't much the Imperial Scorpion could do. Then again, she was trying to <i>capture</i> Akari, not kill her. She wanted Akari to join IU.” Tony frowns at this.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I'm aware. As a result of Kyōchikutō's interests, Akari is now known to IU's Top Ten, especially since she escaped being captured. That's the part I don't get. She's obsessed with poisons of all kinds, so why go for Akari? It seems off. Then again, Akari said something to me about having a Paranormal ability. I suppose that could potentially be the source of the interest.” Riko shakes her head.</p>
<p>“I'm not so sure. I didn't get a clear look at Akari's power, but I <i>have</i> seen a glimpse of it in action. It didn't have anything to do with poison. At any rate, none of that explains why 117 was after her either.” Tony is silent for a moment.</p>
<p>“Actually, I know the answer already. I didn't say it earlier because it would reveal too much about me, but this is actually standard procedure for IU. This attack was a means of testing Akari's strength and ability. One of the higher ranked operatives is curious enough about Akari to try and see why Kyōchikutō was fascinated. They sent 117 and some outsider thugs to attack her, and see what kind of tricks she pulled. That being said, I doubt the attack was meant to be so public. 117 chose to make it public for some reason, but I don't know what at this point in time. I don't know if her life was ever legitimately in danger, but I'd say it's highly likely. If Akari didn't use her powers, she would have been considered worthless by whoever sent 117, and she'd have been killed. Instead though, I interfered. That might come back to bite me on the arse. If this tracks back to Tanya, she'll descend upon Japan with her full ferocity. She'll commit genocide and mass destruction in order to draw me out so she can try again to kill me. I don't think the Top Ten were watching the fight personally though. It'll be someone in between 117 and Number Ten, someone who rates somewhere in between, above 117 so they can call shots if need be, but obviously below Ten to be bossed around. I can think of at least twenty operatives who would do that sort of thing, and that was <i>before</i> I left IU.” Riko looks at Tony with mild concern.</p>
<p>“A test? Interesting, but I didn't really know IU did that sort of thing. You were with them a lot longer than I was though, so I won't doubt your judgement. Of course, that means Akari will be attacked again, doesn't it? Whoever is interested in her now is going to keep targetting her to find out why Kyōchikutō wanted her to join IU. If they find it, they'll move onto the Capture/Kill phase, depending on how valuable they see Akari. Given that, you might want to talk to the girl as soon as possible, and find out about her ability.” Tony shakes his head.</p>
<p>“I don't want to do that if I can help it. I'd rather Akari believe that this was just a one-off attack, or at worst: a means of drawing out an alternative target. I saw that girl's eyes. I saw the ghosts that haunt her. Something happened in her past that has scarred her permanently. Naïve as this will make me sound, but I don't want her to be constantly paranoid about another IU attack. I want to protect her from that, if I can. As for her ability... there's one other avenue. Do you think you can arrange for me to meet Kyōchikutō? She's supposed to still be under lock and key last I heard, something about her Plea Bargain being delayed.” Riko nods slowly as she follows Tony's line of reasoning.</p>
<p>“I think I can arrange that. Since being captured, Kyōchikutō and her sister Suimitsutō have been abandoned by IU. Their combined worth was quite low anyway, so IU had nothing to gain from freeing them. Well, it's just as you said isn't it? Your number is your worth. Even eliminating other operatives doesn't mean you'll be punished for it. You killed several of the Top Ten without consequence, same with Tanya. That being said, she <i>did</i> get a warning from Vlad after Birmingham, but that was more due to the destruction than for killing you, as she believes she's done. So arranging a meeting won't be too difficult. Even so, you should be cautious about visiting convicted criminals too frequently. It's suspicious enough that you dropped in on Holmes III on the spot, but seeing a known member of IU as well? That'll raise flags amongst the police, and may track back to the Academy too.” Tony frowns at this.</p>
<p>“I fail to see why that would be a problem. I'm visiting Kyōchikutō in direct response to the attack this morning. It's a part of my investigation, so the police should have nothing to say about that. Visiting Kanae though... well yeah, that could cause problems, especially if Aria finds out. Hm, you've given me something to think about. I still want to see Kyōchikutō myself though. She won't respond to anyone else, most likely. A visit from The Professor is liable to shake her up, especially given that I'm supposed to be dead. I just hope she doesn't plan on bugging me for Soul Toxin again. When she found out about that she started stalking me, spying on me, launching attacks on me. She even tried to seduce me on several occasions. Her obsession with poisons is disturbing enough as it is, but I don't like the idea of Soul Toxin being added to her collection. It could cause chaos on a biblical scale if it falls into the wrong hands, and I don't trust hers. Then again, her hands can't be any worse than Tanya's, so maybe I could use Soul Toxin as a bargaining chip, if I need to that is.” Riko nods.</p>
<p>“Alright, I see that your mind is set on this, so I won't try to talk you out of it. Just be careful, and be mindful of your surroundings. IU has a lot of spies. It wouldn't surprise me if there's one or two close to Holmes III as well. You're supposed to be dead, so make sure no-one learns the truth too soon.” Tony nods, but says nothing more. Silence threatens to stretch out between them, until Riko breaks it.</p>
<p>“Um... so you're <i>really</i> not mad at me, about the assessments? I mean, I should have told you, I just wanted to have a little fun and-” Tony cuts her off again.</p>
<p>“Riko, stop. I said I'm not mad. I meant that, so you don't have to explain yourself. I know you. I know you'd never intentionally piss me off. You like things to be lively and fun, and even though that <i>can</i> get a little irritating at times, it's never been a problem for me. Not once have I ever been legitimately mad at you. Even when you went rogue to confront Aria. I knew your reasons for that, so I didn't get angry. I was more worried than anything else. Besides, I don't have any right to get angry with you. I could have saved you from your greatest nightmare if only I'd had the balls to break IU's rules. I didn't though. In those days, I was still loyal. In those days, I had yet to learn that IU wasn't the paradise that we were told it was. I was still indoctrinated, and you ended up suffering because of that.” Riko reaches out to grab Tony's right hand, her heart echoing the sadness in Tony's voice.</p>
<p>“Tony, you can't keep beating yourself up about Vlad. It's not-” Tony cuts her off once more, much more firmly this time, the underlying message being inescapably clear.</p>
<p>“So tell me about this job you've been saving. Why does Marcus Lavelle believe he needs a guardian? A <i>Butei</i> guardian no less.” Riko releases Tony's hand with a sigh. <i>It's always the same. He won't let anyone take blame from him about this. He regrets not killing Vlad himself when he had the chance, and regrets not being able to do more to help me when I confronted that bastard. I know that it's not his fault, but Tony refuses to hear any arguments against it. He always changes the subject, and the tone he carries when he does means that fighting the change would only anger him</i>. Riko gathers her thoughts before answering.</p>
<p>
  “I don't know the specifics. He didn't say anything in the job posting, just that he needs to transfer hotels tonight, before his flight tomorrow. He mentions evidence that an attack will be carried out against him, but doesn't specify what the evidence is. I don't know who would attack him, or why. Perhaps a friend or relative of one of his victims. He's known for armed robbery, assault, kidnapping, even rape on occasion. It's possible that the attack is linked to his past. It must be pretty serious though, if he wants Butei protection. If anyone were to run a check on him, they'd see he's a wanted man. Obviously the Masters didn't look into it, otherwise his job would have been rejected and they would have personally put up a job for his arrest. He's wanted by U.S Butei after all. I don't know much about him though, to be honest. I think the only one of us who worked with him was Jeanne, but she's in no condition to answer any questions.” Tony looks at Riko darkly at this point.
</p>
<p>
  “Oh yeah, I heard about that. Try not to make her sick again, okay? I like to have all my friends healthy and able to help out at a moment's notice if I need them to. It's lucky this is only my first day. In the future I may have to call on her Informa expertise on a case. Of course, that depends on how complex the case is, really. At any rate, I wasn't happy to hear we'd be one short on site today. Then again, I wouldn't have wanted her to get involved in the attack this morning. Jeanne's better at close quarters combat. Her firearm proficiency is still a little lacking, and with Yoruhagane weapons in the mix, she would have been foolish to attempt using her powers. Still, having her around might have helped me clear my head. I've always appreciated Jeanne's calm demeanour, and I think her absence may have put me a little more on edge than I should have been. No more late night snacks, or I'll ban you from this year's Comiket.” Riko looks horrified by the threat.
</p>
<p>
  “Not that! <i>Anything</i> but that!” Tony does his best to suppress a smirk.
</p>
<p>
  “Late night snacks or Comiket. You can't have both, so pick one.” Riko pouts, while struggling with an internal battle. Eventually she makes her decision.
</p>
<p>
  “Fine, I'll lay off the late night snacks. I'm going to make you pay for that though, just so you know.” Tony shrugs.
</p>
<p>
  “As long as the people I care about are still with me, I really don't give a crap. Now let's go. Lunch is almost over. I need to get ready for this job, and I should imagine you've already been bombarded with requests for my background file. How many copies do you have?” Riko counts in her head.
</p>
<p>
  “I've got seventy-five in my locker, and another two hundred in my dorm room.” Tony looks at her in disbelief.
</p>
<p>
  “Don't tell me you seriously believed you'd need so few files? That doesn't even cover half the student population. Well, whatever I guess. Let me know if a problem crops up, but it shouldn't. Hopefully. Oh, and could you ask Ghost to monitor Lavelle's hotel? Not just his room, the whole building. I need eyes on the inside so I don't have someone crawl up my arse. I may also need her to run interference if things go wonky.” Riko nods.
</p>
<p>
  “Sure, I'll contact her right away. Let me know if you need anything else. I'll be with Nest until the evening, once I'm done handing out your file to everyone who asks, of course.” Tony nods, but doesn't say anything. <i>That'll please Burnout. Not. Even after two years, and after everything Riko's done, he still can't bury the hatchet with her. After Riko single-handedly stopped me from getting killed by Tanya, I figured he'd ease up on the hostility, but no, he'd rather bury the hatchet </i>in<i> her, than with her. I'm going to have to have another word with him sooner or later. I need Nest working as a unit, with all the gears turning in the same direction. He's upsetting that delicate arrangement with his petty squabble. I wonder if Kinji's the same? They're quite alike, based on my observations so far.</i>
</p>
<p>
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</p>
<p>
  Kinji looks up as Riko yawns and stretches, trying to fend off the stiffness in her shoulders.
</p>
<p>
  “Well, that's the last of them. Any more requests for Tony's file will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm beat.” Kinji studies Riko closely.
</p>
<p>
  “So how did you have so many files on Tony anyway? I didn't even know about him until this morning, yet you had time to prepare dozens of copies of his background file. You already knew him, didn't you?” Riko smiles mischievously.
</p>
<p>
  “Do I detect jealousy from you, Kinji? I wonder what Aria would say if she knew?” Kinji frowns.
</p>
<p>
  “Knock it off, Riko, and stop antagonizing Aria. It's getting old, you know. If you don't want to tell me how you knew about Tony in advance that's fine, I was just curious about how you got the drop on everyone else. He's not IU is he?” Riko shakes her head.
</p>
<p>
  “Of course not, silly. Aside from Jeanne, I don't affiliate with anyone from IU anymore. Of course, if they knew I was involved in Vlad's death, I'd have IU swarming all over me. In truth I've met Tony before, on a couple of occasions. I was with IU at the time, not that that mattered to either of us. Occasionally our interests would align and we'd have to work together. That's about all there is to it really.” Kinji nods slowly, but doesn't look entirely convinced.
</p>
<p>
  “Well, at any rate it's useful that you <i>did</i> know him. His file makes for interesting reading, even if it <i>is</i> a little empty. I don't suppose I could persuade you to shed a little light on his file, can I?” Riko shakes her head.
</p>
<p>
  “My lips are sealed on that matter. If you want to know about Tony, you'll have to ask Tony. I wouldn't get your hopes up though; he keeps everyone at arm's length, at best. No-one's ever been able to get closer to him than that, I know that much. If he finds that he can trust you, he might answer a few questions, but I wouldn't count on him answering very many. Welp, I'm going to head home now. I need to drop by Jeanne's on the way and see if she's feeling better yet. Later Kinji.” Riko bounces out of Inquesta, leaving Kinji confused by what transpired. <i>Well that's weird. Riko's behaviour is completely out of character for her. Normally if I were to even suggest persuading her, she'd try and get me to do something perverted, to tease me, and to try and trigger Hysteria Mode. Instead, she answered me pretty honestly, all in all. She was lying about how she knows Tony, I could tell that much. She knows him a lot better than she's letting on, meaning they've done more than occasionally work together. Assuming she was being honest about him not being IU, which I'm sceptical of, the only alternative would be a long term assignment in which IU planted her with him, but for what purpose? Tony has quite a lot of knowledge about IU and how it operates, more so than he'll admit to. The only thing I can think of is that maybe Riko was tasked with spying on Tony, learning how much he knows about IU in order to determine whether or not he should be eliminated. Of course, if he </i>was<i> with IU, then that would be a lot simpler. If I apply Ockham's Razor to the two possibilities, then Tony is IU, or former IU. I'll have to keep my guard up around him then, especially if he's still with them. If not, that just raises a mountain of additional questions</i>. Kinji's thoughts become interrupted when he sees Aria marching in, with Reki in tow.
</p>
<p>
  “So you <i>are</i> here. I thought the whole point of you transferring to Assault with me was that you wouldn't come back here, and I wouldn't have to go hunting for you.” Kinji smiles apologetically.
</p>
<p>
  “Sorry, Aria. It wasn't planned, but a couple of the guys wanted my help for a quest they're working on. Then there's Riko, who I wanted to talk to. She knew about Tony joining before anyone else, and I was hoping to find out why.” Aria's irritation instantly changes to curiosity at this.
</p>
<p>
  “I thought that was the case. Did she say anything useful?” Kinji shakes his head.
</p>
<p>
  “Afraid not. She states that she's met him a few times while she was with IU, and that they happened to team up on occasion, but she was pretty vague on the details. I don't buy it. I have two theories: either Tony was, or perhaps <i>still is</i>, a member of IU, or else Riko was sent to spy on Tony by IU to find out how much he knows about them, and whether he's a danger to them. Since both seemed equally plausible, I applied Ockham's Razor to determine that Tony is, or was, with IU. Riko insists that he isn't however, but I don't know how much I can trust her. She insists that my brother is with IU after all, and I know that's not possible.” Aria nods in agreement.
</p>
<p>
  “That's exactly what I was thinking. It's good to know we're on the same wavelength, at least in this situation. I've been suspecting Tony of being IU since this morning's incident. He knows far too much about them for me to believe that he simply wants to bring them down. Whether he was honest about that or not, he possesses intimate knowledge that can only be gained from serving with IU. Whether he's still with them or not remains to be seen, but either way, I don't trust him. I don't suppose you managed to get a copy of his file by any chance?” Kinji holds up the file.
</p>
<p>
  “Seems like Riko knew I'd be asking for it. She handed it to me before classes began, while Tony was still being assessed. It makes for an interesting read, but also leads to more questions than answers. Now then, since you've brought Reki with you, I can safely assume that you're not just here for Tony's background report, or simply to find me. So what's up?” Aria takes the file from Kinji before answering. 
</p>
<p>
  “Actually, I need to borrow your Amica for a job.” Fūma answers before Kinji can.
</p>
<p>
  “A job? What would you have me do?” Aria looks over at the window, where Fūma crouches on the sill.
</p>
<p>
  “You're one of Lezzad's Aces, which is a skill set I'm in dire need of. I want you to tail Tony Sherwood, and see what you can learn about him. His file is bound to be full of holes, I trust Kinji on that. If you can fill those holes, I'd greatly appreciate it.” Fūma hesitates.
</p>
<p>
  “Tony Sherwood is an S Rank in most departments, including Lezzad. During his assessment this morning, he detected every Ace who was tailing him, myself included, in under sixty seconds. If I attempt to tail him again, the outcome will only be the same. I don't understand how Tony was able to achieve that feat, but it puts him at an insurmountable advantage. Until I can understand how he detected me, and how to circumvent that, all attempts at tailing him will only end in detection.” Aria folds her arms.
</p>
<p>
  “I heard the rumours, that's why I sought a contingency. You won't be alone. I've hired Reki here to assist you. If you work together, the two of you will be able to tail him without detection.” Fūma considers this for a moment.
</p>
<p>
  “With an S Rank from Sniper, their Ace no less, this plan should work. I will agree to this assignment. I'll report my findings to you, or to my master, as and when I make them. That reminds me, the suspect I mentioned this morning is located at the Grand Park Hotel, room eighty-four. However, he is due to leave the hotel one hour from now, where he will relocate to another hotel. I did not learn which hotel he will relocate to.” Kinji nods.
</p>
<p>
  “That's fine. We can be at the Grand Park Hotel in less than twenty minutes. He won't slip away from us. Shall we?” Aria nods.
</p>
<p>
  “Let's go, Kinji.”
</p>
<p>
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</p>
<p>
  Aria reads Tony's background file while Kinji drives, her brow furrowed in irritation.
</p>
<p>
  “You're right, this report <i>is</i> full of holes. No details of any hospital treatment, which is the most surprising part given the scar on his forehead. That was caused by a 7.62mm round. He got shot in the head and didn't go to the hospital? I don't buy it. His current accommodation is provided by a private party, his education and training are the same. What kind of private party could teach him <i>that</i> kind of combat skill and <i>that</i> level of intel on IU, except IU themselves? It doesn't add up.” Kinji nods in agreement.
</p>
<p>
  “You're right about that. His file is nothing but suspicious. It's definitely a fake, and I'm pretty sure the reason for it is due to his affiliation with IU. I can't help but wonder what else he's hiding though. It seems a little excessive, to omit so much even if he <i>was</i> with IU. I mean Riko's background file is nowhere near is incomplete, and we <i>know</i> she was IU. So it doesn't add up for Tony's to be so empty, unless there's something I'm overlooking.” Aria closes the file with a faint sigh.
</p>
<p>
  “Well, whatever the reason, finding the answers won't be easy. I hope Fūma and Reki can learn something, but I doubt they'll pick anything up on him quickly. He <i>is</i> Lezzad's newest Ace, after all. He won't give up his secrets easily. I gotta say, I was pretty disappointed to hear he'd chosen to join Inquesta. All of those S Rank ratings, and he chooses Inquesta instead. It just feels like a waste of potential.” Kinji doesn't seem to share her view here.
</p>
<p>
  “That may be true, but I also understand Tony's logic. Butei High is still a school after all, a place to learn. He wanted to join a department where he could learn, improve his skills, and increase his rating. Inquesta was one of the five departments he didn't receive an S Rank in. He openly admitted to being against joining Assault due to his confrontation with you. He ruled out Medica due to his bedside manner, or what he claims of it at least. He ruled out Dagula due to his emotional state, something Ranbyō-sensei agrees with, and he ruled out Ambulace believing that he wouldn't be so well suited to that department as to Inquesta. His logic is hard to argue with on a fundamental level, but I can't help but think there's more to it than that. Riko's one of Inquesta's Aces. If those two really were in IU together, then it would make sense for him to stick close to her. A familiar face to help him get adjusted to the Academy. Something like that.” Aria nods slowly.
</p>
<p>
  “Yeah, I guess when you put it that way you could be right. I still think it's a waste of talent though, but that's his decision I guess.” Before Kinji can say anything, his cellphone rings. He puts it on speaker phone.
</p>
<p>
  “Fūma, what's wrong? Don't tell me he detected you already.” Aria looks concerned at this, but waits for Fūma's response. 
</p>
<p>
  “Not yet, master, but I believe he suspects it. Tony Sherwood has been keeping a close watch on his surroundings at all times. No, the reason I'm calling is because he has just entered the Grand Park Hotel via the staff entrance. So far he has avoided detection by CCTV and by personnel. Reki has informed me that he is on the eighth floor, which is the same floor as Marcus Lavelle. There are three rooms on that floor which she cannot see into, one of those being room eighty-four. Reki believes it is possible that Tony may be meeting with Marcus Lavelle.” Aria looks shocked by this.
</p>
<p>
  “But Lavelle is IU! Why would Tony meet with him?” There is a moment of silence.
</p>
<p>
  “I'm sorry, but I cannot answer that question. Room eighty-four appears to be protected from monitoring equipment. I am unable to hear anything inside, and Reki cannot see inside either. Neither of us has any means of determining what is going on inside. What are your orders, master?” Kinji thinks things over for a moment.
</p>
<p>
  “For now, fall back. If Tony discovers you tailing him, there's no telling what he'll do. If he's still with IU, your life could be in danger. If he leaves the hotel, resume tailing him, <i>cautiously</i>. Don't take any unnecessary risks. Aria and I are almost there. If Tony is with Marcus, we'll handle it. Both of us have dealt with IU before, so we'll be able to handle the situation. We have Reki covering us as well if need be. I just hope it doesn't turn into an armed conflict.” There is a moment of silence again before Fūma answers.
</p>
<p>
  “Understood, master.” The line goes dead as Fūma hangs up, leaving Aria looking deeply concerned.
</p>
<p>
  “This all feels so wrong. Why is Tony at the Grand Park Hotel? Is he really in Lavelle's room? Are they really meeting up? Why? Does that mean Tony is involved in framing my mother as the Butei Killer? But if he's not, then what's going on? Does this mean Tony's still with IU? I just don't get what's going on here.” Kinji reaches and and grasps Aria's hand comfortingly.
</p>
<p>
  “Aria, calm down. It'll be alright. We don't know for sure that Tony is meeting with Marcus. He could be in one of the other rooms that Reki can't see. She'll only be able to see one side of the building. Tony could be on the other side. Don't forget that he's also investigating the incident this morning, the attack on your Amica. It's possible that his source is there. It may even be that Marcus is involved in the attack. If Tony's arresting Marcus, that saves us a whole lot of trouble. Whatever the reason is, worrying about it won't get you anywhere. Take a deep breath and calm your emotions. Whatever happens, I've got your back. Reki has it too, so nothing bad will happen. I promise.” Aria takes a deep breath, then nods.
</p>
<p>
  “You're right. Thanks Kinji.” Kinji nods but doesn't say anything. <i>She's been like this ever since we faced off against Vlad. That battle really shook her up, and she's been on edge ever since; paranoid, deeply suspicious of everything, and worst of all is that she's always second guessing herself. She never suspected that Mr Sayonaki was really Vlad the Bad. Neither did I for that matter, but it hasn't affected me the way it affected Aria. She can't see to trust her own judgement anymore. Not often, at least. I don't think getting beaten by Tony this morning helped her. She was pretty badly injured. It took most of the day for Yui Takanashi to properly treat Aria's injuries. She sustained three broken vertebrae, as well as severe damage to her spinal cord. That's on top of the broken clavicles and the close range gunshot. If Tony had slammed Aria just a little higher up, the nerve damage would have caused Aria's heart to stop beating, and she would have died. Repairing the nerve damage is what took Takanashi-sensei so long to heal Aria. She ended up having to leave early herself due to exhausting her Paranormal abilities. Losing to Tony in a fight, especially given his lower rating, really seems to have knocked Aria's confidence for a loop. She's itching for a rematch though, I know that much. I just hope Tony holds back against her, again. If not... well, I don't even want to think about </i>that<i> outcome</i>.
</p>
<p>
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</p>
<p>
  Tony turns from the hotel door to face the only other occupant of the room: a middle-aged Caucasian man with long black hair tied back in a tail, a neatly trimmed black goatee, and pale green eyes showing some exhaustion. The man zips up his black raincoat, covering up the bulge around his waist.
</p>
<p>
  “Something wrong?” Tony shakes his head.
</p>
<p>
  “No. They're here for me, not for you. It doesn't matter anyway. She might by one of Lezzad's Aces, but she doesn't know how I can track her so easily. For a Kunoichi, her stealth skills are disappointing. She's withdrawing from the building, so she won't cause you any problems.” The man nods.
</p>
<p>
  “Good to hear. You know, when I posted the job on the Academy's board, I never would have thought you'd be the one to take it on. You're supposed to be dead, after all.” Tony shrugs.
</p>
<p>
  “You can thank Lupin IV for that. She figured out it was you and held the job for me, making sure no-one else could take it. Well, you know who I am after all, and I can't have you leaking secrets. So tell me, why does IU's Number Eighty Four want Butei protection?” Marcus grins playfully.
</p>
<p>
  “Well actually, it's Number Sixty Seven now, and that's part of the problem. Well, you know how it is. It gets pretty competitive, and people will kill to get a higher ranking. Literally. I worked hard to climb the ladder, and now it seems someone I overtook wants to put me down, in rank or in life, but most likely in both. I don't know who it is exactly, just that they're family. They left this...” Marcus holds out a bloodstained Tarot card, which Tony takes.
</p>
<p>
  “A calling card for sure, but I don't know who deals in Tarot cards. Little cliché to be handing me the Death card though. That arrived yesterday evening, with a message saying I had twenty-four hours. I don't fancy getting killed off in a power struggle, so I posted the job. I fly out to Russia tomorrow, and I intend to disappear for a while. I just need to last that long.” Tony studies the card closely.
</p>
<p>
  “I know this calling card. It's the Zodiac Twins, Leo and Gemini. Leo's big on Tarot card readings, thinks himself some kind of fortune teller. He's an idiot though, just like his brother. Yet another internal power struggle. I figured after Rome this shit would stop. I was wrong. I figured after Birmingham that it should <i>definitely</i> stop. Looks like I'm <i>still</i> wrong. All this childish in-fighting is just one of the reasons I wanted out.” Marcus examines Tony closely.
</p>
<p>
  “Yeah, and now you're a Butei. Looking to put IU behind bars now? You know it won't work out that way.” Tony shakes his head.
</p>
<p>
  “That's not the plan. Not that I'm going to share my plan with you. One more question though, before we get started. What do you know about this morning's attack?” Marcus frowns, looking legitimately confused.
</p>
<p>
  “Attack? No-one told me anything about an attack. Hardly anyone even knows I'm here.” Tony sighs.
</p>
<p>
  “Well, it was worth a shot. There was an attack on a Butei girl this morning. Akari Mamiya. She was a subject of interest for Kyōchikutō, which of course means the Top Ten know about her too. Five common thugs, and Number 117, attacked her. Still trying to find out who ordered the attack, and who supervised it. This was just a test run, to see if she's really worth capturing or whether to just kill her. I'm not cool with that. Never was.” Marcus looks faintly intrigued.
</p>
<p>
  “Well that explains the sirens this morning then. 117... that's Paul Dreyton. Ex-US military, before getting dishonourably discharged and joining IU as a means of getting even. Small fry, not very bright, and still pretty new. Less than a year since joining. He's still alive I take it?” Tony nods.
</p>
<p>
  “Yeah, just about. I'll admit, I almost broke Article 9. Keeping my instincts in check isn't always easy. Him and his goons are all in custody, but so far they've given up nothing I can use. I plan on visiting the Imperial Scorpion tomorrow, see if I can get her to explain why she was so interested in Akari.” Marcus mulls this over.
</p>
<p>
  “I guess I don't mind saying, but this is only a rumour, happened before I joined. I heard something about a village populated by Mamiyas getting attacked by that poison lover and several others. If I remember the rumour rightly, the Mamiya clan were once Shogunate spies trained in some technique called Tobiugachi, I think. Beyond that I don't know anything.” Tony shudders.
</p>
<p>
  “Tobiugachi... I've heard of that. An unpleasant technique to say the least. Let's just say the Dark Goddess of Torture would've loved it. Well, you've told me enough, even if it's just a rumour. I can work with this and see that any future attacks against Akari also end in failure. If need be, I can let the family know I'm not a corpse, but I'd rather not do that if I can help it. Anyway, we should get moving. If the Zodiac Twins try to make good on their threat, I'll take care of them.” Marcus nods.
</p>
<p>
  “I don't doubt it. You might be a Butei now, but you're still the former Number Four deep down. Those Zodiac idiots don't even compare.” Tony takes one of his P226s from its holster and attaches a shot suppressor, before returning it to his holster. He repeats the process for his other pistol, with Marcus watching curiously.
</p>
<p>
  “You've redesigned your suppressors. The old ones weren't bad, but still louder than you liked as I recall.” Tony nods.
</p>
<p>
  “That's right. Most normal suppressors can't drop the gunshot of these to below one hundred twenty decibels. My old sets could get as low as eighty-five decibels. These are the first of a new design though, bringing the noise down to fifty-two decibels. I just hope I don't need to use them. The more mess I make, the more clean-up I need to do later on. I hate making more work for myself than necessary. So, I'm eliminating all possible problems before they crop up.” Tony reaches into a pocket inside his jacket, extracting a small black case. He opens the case and takes out a syringe filled with a dark blue liquid, which he then injects into himself. Marcus watches intently.
</p>
<p>
  “Now that's a new one. What did you inject?” Tony glares at Marcus, as his hair and eyes fade to a darker shade of blue.
</p>
<p>
  “That's classified. All you need to know is that I'll be more effective at protecting you with this in my system. I hate using it, but I hate unnecessary hassle even more. Just one big pain in the arse. Now, you all ready to go?” Marcus shrugs.
</p>
<p>
  “I've taken care of everything I needed to. You sure the coast is clear?” Tony nods.
</p>
<p>
  “No-one on this floor. Nearest security is on the third floor. I can get past the staff and the cameras without any difficulty. The coast is clear.” Marcus walks out first, with a confident grin.
</p>
<p>
  “Good to know.” As Tony walks out as well, he hears the elevator chime, and the doors slide open. Aria barely has a chance to twitch before Tony has both of his pistols trained on her.
</p>
<p>
  “Of course, there's no camera in the elevator, so I didn't see this coming. Really bad timing I have to say. No sudden moves Kanzaki, there's a good girl. Marcus, stairwell. I'll be right behind you, I just have to have a little chat with my fellow students.” Marcus nods with an amused expression, heading for the stairwell. Kinji takes half a step forwards before stopping, the bullet whistling past his right ear telling him to stay put. The impact is louder than the shot itself was.
</p>
<p>
  “Not another step, either of you. From here on out, there will be no more warning shots. If I perceive you to be a threat, I <i>will</i> target you. Don't force my hand.” Kinji opts for diplomacy, hoping he can keep his voice steady following the near miss.
</p>
<p>
  “Tony, let us pass. We're only here to arrest that man. That's all we're after. Once we have him in custody, we'll leave without a fuss.” Tony aims for Kinji's head now, dead centre.
</p>
<p>
  “Not going to happen, Tōyama. Back off. This is your last chance.” Aria's anger gets the best of her.
</p>
<p>
  “What the Hell do you even think you're doing? That man is with IU! Why are you getting in our way?” Tony glances at her, but he keeps his guns trained on both of them.
</p>
<p>
  “He's a client. Pure and simple. Whether he's IU or not makes no difference to me in the long run. He's not on my list of targets, so turning him over serves no purpose. He posted a job on the Academy board, I responded. It's as simple as that. He wants protecting, I'm protecting him. That's my job. I'll protect him from any threat. <i>Any</i>.” Aria and Kinji show no signs of backing down, though they see no way to turn this situation around in their favour. A cold voice calls out from the stairwell.
</p>
<p>
  “Drop the pistols kid, or your client redefines the term 'airhead.' Not that he has anything in there to shoot.” Tony glances back over his shoulder, to see Marcus being held at gunpoint. Two masked men flank him, wearing the same clothes and the same grey skull masks. They are also the same height. The man on the left holds a Beretta 92F against the back of Marcus' head. The man on the right holds an identical Beretta underneath Marcus' chin. Tony holsters his guns with a shrug, then turns to face the pair, sneering distastefully.
</p>
<p>
  “And here you are. Leo and Gemini; the Zodiac Twins. Still copycatting each other I see. The whole twin shtick is really fucking old, you know that right? I see you two are still idiots. No-one with any brains would ever interfere with my mission.” The man on the right hesitates a moment, then slowly nods his head as the realisation hits him.
</p>
<p>
  “Oh hey, I remember this kid now. Looks have changed but the attitude still sucks. I thought you was dead.” Tony sighs wearily.
</p>
<p>
  “A lot of people think that. I intend to keep it that way, so I'll have to make sure you don't get to say a word.” The man on the left growls.
</p>
<p>
  “You're right Leo, it's the same kid. Look, we're kind of in a hurry here, so if you can just drop the tough guy routine and sneak us out past CCTV like you did coming in, we'll let you off the hook. You're not involved in this. You backed out two years ago. This is between us and Lavelle here. Oh yeah, be sure to take care of those two brats as well before you get us outta here.” Tony smirks, radiating a fierce confidence.
</p>
<p>
  “Yeah, like that's going to happen. You two really are eternal idiots. So let me spell it out to you: I'm not jumping through your hoops. You guys are just another headache for me to deal with, and I could do that really easily, but then I'd have to clean up the mess. That sucks, so instead I'm giving you this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk out of here free and clean. Take it, or leave it.” The pair laugh raucously.
</p>
<p>
  “You're giving <i>us</i> a chance? Kid, what shit are you spouting? We hold all the cards here!” Tony grins maliciously.
</p>
<p>
  “Yeah, I see that. So why don't you unzip Marcus' jacket, and see the cards you're holding onto.” Gemini hesitates, then opens Marcus' jacket. Strapped to his waist are several blocks of C4 explosives, wired to a black vest. Gemini falters at the sight, leaving Tony to speak calmly.
</p>
<p>
  “See that? You're holding onto a full deck of Death cards. That's a Bio Vest he's wearing. It's constantly monitoring his vital signs. If you kill him, the vest sends a signal to the detonators, and all that C4 goes boom. There's enough oomph strapped to him to wipe out half the hotel. You kill Marcus, you die with him. Or you can surrender, and all of us walk out of here alive. I've got no interest in either of you. You're not on my list, so whether you live or die makes no difference. You're just pawns on a chessboard. It's the veteran pieces I'm looking to topple. So as far as I'm concerned, you're free to walk whenever you like. Of course, if the pink-haired midget and her boyfriend decide to try and arrest you later on, that's their decision. You can cross that bridge when you come to it, but if you try to play against me, you'll only lose. So what'll it be, Dumb and Dumber: Option A or Option B?” Both Leo and Gemini aim for Tony, speaking in unison.
</p>
<p>
  “Option C!” Both men pull the trigger, but instead of firing, the guns they hold shatter in their hands. Before they can comprehend this, Tony is on top of them, taking the pair out with a single left hook. The two men crumple onto the floor, and Tony handcuffs them.
</p>
<p>
  "Rookies. Complete and utter idiots. Some things never change. As if I'd really strap C4 to my client and risk blowing up a hotel.” Marcus tenses suddenly, seeing what Tony cannot.
</p>
<p>
  “Look out!” Tony is already ahead of him however, swinging a Wakizashi upwards to meet Aria's Kodachi. As the blades collide, the Wakizashi slices cleanly through, severing the Kodachi. Aria stares in shock and barely registers the tip of the sword being pressed against her throat, directly over her Jugular.
</p>
<p>
  “Throw the Colts aside, right now!” Aria doesn't budge, the coldness in Tony's voice freezing her. Tony sighs and draws a P226, firing twice at Kinji's chest. His uniform stops the bullets from penetrating, but the impact still drops him to his knees as two ribs break.
</p>
<p>
  “The next bullet will blow out his left kneecap. Throw the Colts aside <i>now</i>! You too Kinji, get rid of that Beretta. I don't give a fuck about the knife, but if you don't toss the gun, I <i>will</i> shoot you again.” Both of them cast aside their pistols, earning a look of faint satisfaction from Tony.
</p>
<p>
  “That's better. Now, the two of you are going to turn around, walk into room eighty-four, lock the door, and stay there. Once you comply, I'll take my leave. Once you hear the stairwell door close, count to fifty. After that, you're free to go. Do whatever the Hell you want, as long as you don't come after me. If I have to deal with you again, I may end up breaking Article 9. It's not worth the risk, so just go home. Now, get moving.”Aria and Kinji both comply, knowing better than to antagonize Tony any further. Once Tony hears the lock click, he holsters his pistol and sheaths his sword. <i>One pair of idiots down, one to go</i>. The door to room eighty-five opens silently, and the unconscious bodies of Leo and Gemini float past Tony, surrounded by a purple aura, and into the hotel room. The door closes silently, though purple light shimmers from the lock for a moment. Tony turns and leads Marcus through the stairwell, speaking into his earpiece.
</p>
<p>
  “The Zodiac Twins have been locked in room eighty-five. I wiped their memories, so there's no harm in turning them over to local police. Make sure you casually pass on their arrest warrant though. They're wanted in Germany, after all.” Marcus raises an eyebrow.
</p>
<p>
  “Some of the people who left the family with you?” Tony nods.
</p>
<p>
  “That's right. Seventeen, Twenty-Six and Forty-Four will handle clean-up. Forty-Eight is watching over us. Fifteen isn't needed, which suits him just fine because he hates this kind of shit. Oh right, that was their old rankings wasn't it? It's Burnout, Ghost and Mantis cleaning up. Ranger's watching over us while Scar sits out. The Cat Burglar's probably watching us too. This is my first Butei gig after all, so she'll want to make sure it goes smoothly, though she'll be pissed about pinky and lover boy getting in the way. Shit happens, though.” Marcus ponders the response.
</p>
<p>
  “That's true, but you handled yourself just fine. Still got all the moves, Professor, but I can't see why you'd waste them on the Butei like that.” Tony stops dead and glares at Marcus.
</p>
<p>
  “I'm not the Professor. Not anymore. Not Number Four either. Just Tony Sherwood.” Marcus shrugs.
</p>
<p>
  “Whatever. It's not like it makes a difference overall. You know it won't be long before she finds out you're still alive and comes looking for you.” Tony turns away.
</p>
<p>
  “It's not <i>her</i> I'm worried about. She's simple-minded.” Marcus looks intrigued.
</p>
<p>
  “Oh, so it's <i>him</i> you've got at the top of your list. You've got balls kid. No-one even knows who he is, but if you think you can beat him, you must be insane.” Tony shrugs and resumes walking.
</p>
<p>
  “Maybe I am. Maybe insanity is what will give me the edge. We'll just have to see. For the record though, I <i>do</i> know who he is. So does Tanya for that matter. Holmes III almost figured it out, but God knows how. She probed pretty deep, but I stepped in before she could put all the pieces together. Still wish I knew how she picked up that trail though. Not that it matters, in the end. She's out of the picture.” Marcus' intrigue turns to shock.
</p>
<p>
  “Seriously? You know who Number One is? Damn! You know how much money that info is worth? You could buy hundreds of private islands and still have enough left over to buy Greece. I'm not about to ask how you know, or who it is. I <i>am</i> curious what you plan to accomplish by taking him down though.” Tony slows down but doesn't stop.
</p>
<p>
  “The same thing the Cat Burglar wanted: to surpass my great-grandfather. She succeeded. I only hope I can too. She had a much easier job though. She doesn't have to take on Number One. I do. It's the only way.” Marcus wants to ask more, but he can see that Tony is going to evade him on every question. <i>Shit, I still can't believe this kid knows Number One's identity. Not even Vlad knew that. Then again, Number One seemed to show an unusual level of interest in The Professor. The kid was hailed as a prodigy, pegged to become the new Number One. Somewhere along the way though, things went wonky. I don't know what happened, but at some point the kid decided to quit IU. I don't know if it was Tanya's doing, or if it came before then, but something pushed him away, made him determined to leave. Now he's a Butei. Can't get much more opposite than that. Protecting people instead of killing them. What the fuck, man? What's the point in protecting people? Humans suck, everyone knows that. The kid must see something worthwhile in it though. The Professor never did anything without a reason. He has a motive for everything, and that includes joining the Butei.</i> It takes Marcus several seconds to realise that they are outside now, and several more to realise that Tony is visibly irked by something. As they walk down a deserted alleyway, Tony suddenly spins around, holding both P226 pistols. He fires a single shot from each, aiming for the balcony of an apartment block on the left. Marcus turns just in time to see a figure duck behind cover, evading the warning shots.
</p>
<p>
  “Go back to school, Fūma. You have a lot to learn about tailing someone. Continue pursuing me however, and the next shot won't miss.” Tony holsters his guns and resumes walking, Marcus staying close behind.
</p>
<p>
  “The person who was tailing you earlier?” Tony nods.
</p>
<p>
  “One of them. Didn't realise the sniper was also tailing me earlier though. I know now, so I'll have to warn her off as well. Can't shoot at her from this range, so I'll just have to send a different kind of signal.” Marcus' question gets answered before he can even ask it. Once they leave the alleyway, Tony deftly detaches the weapon light from his right-hand pistol, and uses it to shine a sequence of flashes at a skyscraper under construction almost at the opposite edge of the city. Tony lingers for a moment, as if waiting for something to happen.
</p>
<p>
  “We're free and clear at last. No more pursuers. Everyone's backed off. Guess they're not <i>completely</i> stupid then.” The rest of the journey is uneventful, and Tony seems withdrawn. Marcus is checked in at the Little Bird Hotel, located almost on top of Haneda Airport, and Tony escorts him all the way to his new hotel room. Only there does Tony seem to relax and become less withdrawn.
</p>
<p>
  “A small part of me expected Leo and Gemini to have had hired guns waiting for us, or for there to be another power hungry fool resentful of being demoted. Glad I was paranoid to be honest. Less crap to take care of. Still, it was more eventful than I was hoping for, for my first gig. I don't know what the heck Aria and Kinji were <i>really</i> doing at the hotel, but their story has a fishy smell to it. Not that that matters anymore. This concludes the job assignment you requested.” Marcus studies Tony closely.
</p>
<p>
  “Pretty amusing entertainment, though. I really can't help but wonder what the Librarian would have made of all this, your sudden career change.” Tony frowns at this.
</p>
<p>
  “What does <i>that</i> mean? What does <i>he</i> have to do with anything?” Marcus smiles mischievously.
</p>
<p>
  “You don't know? Well that's interesting. Can't say I'm too surprised though. The Librarian kept his life well organised and compartmentalised. I guess he kept secrets in his archives from everyone, but this one found its way to me. He <i>was</i> the one who brought me into IU after all. I'd like to tell you, but you joined Inquesta, so this would make a good training exercise for you. What do I mean by my earlier statement? Why would your father's reaction to seeing you as a Butei intrigue and entertain me? Take time to think about it, and you might come to a pretty astounding revelation. Or not.” Tony sighs irately, before taking his leave. At the door, he makes one parting comment.
</p>
<p>
  “Watch your back, Lavelle. You never know who might be trying to stab it. If you think you can hide from your past, you're sadly mistaken. We reap what we sow. I know what seeds you have sown, and the time for harvest is closer than you might think. You might want to take a few steps back from the fan, because there's a steaming bog-buster about to hit it. If you're as insightful as you think you are, you'll at least avoid being the only one to get sprayed.” And with that, Tony vanishes into the approaching night. Marcus stares after him for a moment, before shaking his head. <i>I reap what I sow, huh? Then it might be time for me to sow one least seed before the harvest</i>. Marcus takes out his cellphone and dials from memory. A synthesized voice responds.
</p>
<p>
  “What is it, Sixty-Seven?” Marcus smirks as he answers.
</p>
<p>
  “Inform the Barber that there are eyes upon him. His welcome gift slipped into the wrong hands, now it's only a matter of time before the truth comes out. If that happens, the Roman Reaper will resurface, only this time it'll be unrestrained. Forget Aztec and the Queen of the Night, and forget even the Cunning Couple. When the Professor finds out he's getting stabbed in the back by someone he trusts, he'll make Quinto look like a Buddhist Monk. The Barber needs to ease up, unless he has a burning desire to find out whether there's a worse Hell than Soul Toxin.” There is silence for a moment, then the answer comes.
</p>
<p>
  “How do you know about the welcome gift?” Marcus laughs at the question.
</p>
<p>
  “How can I <i>not</i>? I was the one observing after all. The Professor's investigating it personally, and he's not leaving a single stone unturned. He's on all the right tracks save for one, but that train has left the station already. He'll solve this case in forty-eight hours, unless the Barber leaves the station as well. If he hasn't pulled out by tomorrow evening, the Professor will pick up his trail, and Emerald City will fall into his possession. You want the Professor getting his hands on <i>that</i>? If not, tell the Barber to back off. He's risking one of our biggest assets with his stupid games.” There is no delay this time.
</p>
<p>
  “I'll contact the Barber immediately. Good work, Sixty Seven.” The line goes dead, and Marcus sits with a triumphant grin. <i>If I had a choice of who to fuck with, it'd be the Barber every time. He won't see through my ruse for a long time. If only his mind was as sharp as his blades. How a guy like that came to be in charge of our Shinrinkō facility I don't know, but he doesn't deserve it. If the Professor was still IU, I'd make sure he took over right away, but the kid's a Butei now. Still, this'll make for some brilliant entertainment. I know I'd choose to mess with the Barber over the Professor, but what I have right here is an opportunity to mess with them both. The Barber will panic and go into hiding, but in the process he'll leave a trail. If the Professor picks up that trail, he'll take down the Barber, and in doing so will destroy himself as well. It's too good an opportunity to pass up, and the Professor won't even know I'm involved. This is perfect.</i>
</p>
<p>
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</p>
<p>
  Aria and Kinji are in low spirits when they return to the Academy. Despite Kinji's protests, Aria had insisted upon taking him to see Yui Takanashi to get his ribs checked. Yui examines the bruising on Kinji's chest with curiosity, while Aria stands to one side.
</p>
<p>
  “You said Tony did this? You're sure it was him? I don't mean to doubt you, but considering his actions this morning, it seems strange for him to shoot a fellow Butei. Or was there an argument?” Kinji shakes his head.
</p>
<p>
  “No argument, and it was definitely him. His behaviour was just so much more hostile, like when he faced off against Aria this morning. Well... no, he was more hostile even than that. He fired a warning shot just for me taking one step forward, and then these two shots were because Aria didn't relinquish her guns right away. I don't even know why he shot <i>me</i> for that. His behaviour doesn't add up at all.” Yui hums with interest, and then places her left hand over the two bruises. A faint rainbow-coloured halo surrounds the bruises. While those don't seem to fade, Kinji can feel something healing internally. After a few seconds, Yui's hand drops away.
</p>
<p>
  “I'm afraid that's the best I can do. I'm still exhausted from treating Aria's injuries earlier. Get plenty of rest tonight, and avoid Assault training for a few days. That should give your ribs time to finish healing and the bruises time to fade. I'll see if I can speak with Tony tomorrow, but I can't guarantee I'll be able to find any answers. If he suspects that I'm probing for info about this incident, he'll evade me. All I can do is hope that he'll drop an answer on me in the midst of a casual conversation. It's still strange though. I didn't agree with Ranbyō's assessment that Tony was emotionally compromised. It looked to me more like he was stressed out, and not by the attack either. Something had him worked up before Aria began her unconventional assessment. That pushed his mood, but he still seemed quite stable to me. What you describe is much closer to a change in personality. Such hostility and aggression was never present in him before now, I'm certain of that.” Kinji buttons up his shirt and puts on his blazer before speaking.
</p>
<p>
  “All I can say is what I saw for myself. Perhaps Reki and Fūma can shed a little light on the situation.” A quiet voice dashes Kinji's hopes.
</p>
<p>
  “I'm afraid that won't be possible. We were both detected and warned away, in differing manners.” Kinji and Aria look over to see Reki and Fūma in the doorway. Though her face is covered, Fūma's eyes still show concern.
</p>
<p>
  “Are you okay, master?” Kinji nods.
</p>
<p>
  “It's nothing too serious, all things considered. Tony met up with Marcus Lavelle, and protected him from Aria and I. He was unusually hostile. He shot me, twice. My uniform stopped the worst of it, but at close range the bullets still broke ribs. Takanashi-sensei here has patched up the worst of it. I'll be fine in a few days. So what happened to you two?” Fūma reports first.
</p>
<p>
  “I noticed unnatural hostility as well. Prior to arrival at the hotel he had been cautious, even apprehensive, but afterwards his manner had changed. He stopped monitoring his surroundings, or so I believed, but he was still able to detect me. As I relocated to a balcony, he fired two warning shots, before ordering me to return to the Academy, stating that I had much to learn about tailing suspects. I would argue that it's only true in tailing <i>him</i>. I found no clue in how he was able to detect me. He never once looked about himself after leaving the hotel, and I can rule out hearing as well. There must have been another method he used to detect me.” Kinji looks troubled.
</p>
<p>
  “So he shot at you as well? That's three Butei he's fired at today, outside of his assessments I mean. What about you Reki? I find it hard to imagine how he could have seen you, but there's no way he could have shot at you, right?” Reki nods.
</p>
<p>
  “You are correct. I can also corroborate Fūma's assertion that Tony Sherwood was not visibly mindful of his surroundings. Yet somehow, he detected her, and myself as well. Shortly after firing at Fūma, he detached a weapon light and sent me a message in Morse Code.” Kinji raises an eyebrow.
</p>
<p>
  “What was the message?” Reki answers flatly.
</p>
<p>
  “Interfere with my mission and you'll invoke my wrath. Take the shot or return to the Academy. Also, orange headphones are poorly suited for stealth. I'll see you tomorrow, princess.” Aria sneers at this.
</p>
<p>
  “What the Hell is that guy's problem?” Kinji doesn't respond right away. <i>Princess? That doesn't sound like something Tony would say. It sounds more like something I'd say in Hysteria Mode, but for Tony it just doesn't fit. He's got a point about the headphones though, but-</i> Kinji jolts as something odd occurs to him.
</p>
<p>
  “Wait, you said he signalled you in Morse Code, but if he wasn't watching his surroundings, how did he find you? Where were you watching him from?” Reki tilts her head almost imperceptibly.
</p>
<p>
  “From the seventeenth storey of the Kuromori Building currently under construction. Tony was standing outside the Masshiro Tenshi Maid café when he signalled me.” Kinji looks gobsmacked.
</p>
<p>
  “But that's... almost two kilometres apart! He was able to locate you blindly and then signal you specifically from that distance? That's impossible!” Reki seems indifferent to Kinji's surprise.
</p>
<p>
  “It's not impossible. That's exactly what happened. While I do not know for certain what method he used, my leading theory is that Tony employed the use of his Paranormal abilities in some manner in order to detect both Fūma and myself. Tony Sherwood <i>was</i> rated S Rank for SSR after all. Perhaps he was concealing the full extent of his abilities during the assessment.” Kinji looks confused by this.
</p>
<p>
  “Concealing his abilities? For what purpose?” Reki doesn't answer right away.
</p>
<p>
  “I have not observed Tony enough to be certain. I can only speculate that he simply doesn't want his full extent to be known about. If there are other reasons, I have yet to see indicators of them. There <i>is</i> one anomaly I noticed however: after leaving the Grand Park Hotel, I saw that Tony's hair and eyes were both significantly darker in hue. Whether this bears any relevance I am unable to say, but it was an anomaly I believed necessary to remark upon.” Kinji thinks back on the incident at the hotel. <i>Now that I think about it, she's right. His hair and eyes were definitely darker. I didn't notice at the time, what with him shooting at me, but now I can't deny the change. So what caused it? Why would his hair and eyes darken? Could it be linked to his Paranormal abilities? Could it even be linked to his change in personality as well? I guess the only thing we can do is try to monitor him. The thing is though, he knows we're doing it. He detected Fūma once again. He even detected Reki from almost two kilometres away. His Paranormal abilities must be immense if he can sense someone over such a long distance. Not even Shirayuki possesses that kind of skill, and she's basically SSR's prodigy. Tony Sherwood... just what are you hiding? And what are you up to? Why join the Butei when he's that powerful? What could possibly be strong enough to oppose him?</i>
</p>
<p>
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</p>
<p>
  A girl of around eighteen years of age, with a long brunette ponytail and warm brown eyes, leans back in her first class seat, paying little attention to the people around her, and more on the swirling, malevolent storm in the distance. <i>Funny. That storm is a little like me. No-one who looks at it truly understands its deadly beauty. They try to hide from what it brings, but in the end there is no hiding from the storm's wrath. Nor is there any hiding from my wrath, especially not in </i>his<i> case, the fucking Professor. I still don't know how he survived. A single shot to the head should have been enough. Seigyokukō is a potent Paranormal metal as well. I don't understand what went wrong, but clearly something did. Perhaps I was wrong to listen to Lupin IV. Perhaps I underestimated Tony, as he always claimed. Perhaps many things, but none of those matter. I will see the Professor again, and this time, I really </i>will<i> kill him. I'll make sure of it. I'll rip his head from his shoulders and set fire to his brain. The funny thing is, he doesn't even know this storm is approaching. Japan is so close I can almost touch it. It won't take me long to find Tony. It never does.</i> She feels a vibration against her right breast, and slips her cellphone out. She is dimly aware of the man in his forties sat next to her, staring at her chest long after the phone was removed. With a tut, and lightning fast movement, she presses a serrated knife with a deep green blade against the man's throat, his skin turning white almost as fast as she moved.
</p>
<p>
  “Go ahead, pervert, cop a feel. Do it! I will peel the skin from your body and wear it like a suit while I rape you to death. If you value your pathetic life, fuck off to the toilet and remain there for the rest of the journey. If I ever see you again, you will find your cock and bollocks lodged so far up your arse you'll choke on them. Do I make myself clear?” It is unclear whether the man nods or not, such is the severity of his shaking. Nevertheless, the girl eases the knife away just enough to let the man flee to the cubicle in a blind panic. She ignores the frightened whispers as she reads the message with distaste.
</p>
<p>
  “The Professor is digging too deeply around my affairs, so I'll be going dark. There are three things I can tell you. One: He is a Butei. Two: He intends to speak with the Imperial Scorpion tomorrow regarding an incident this morning. My contacts will relay the recording of the meeting to you via external channels. Three: There is evidence that the Silver Snake is in Japan. The codewords 'Shining Sea' were flagged recently in Tokyo in an email relating to Katana. Number Twenty is narrowing down the location and will make the retrieval. That is all I can say until there are less eyes upon me, particularly <i>his</i>.” The message is signed Sweeney VI. The girl rereads the message several times, confused, irritated and hopeful in equal measure. <i>Tony is a Butei now? How the actual fuck did that even happen? Who would be insane enough to accept his Plea Bargain? Knowing that he is suspicious of the Barber is troubling though. I need Sweeney VI, for now at least, to provide me with intel on Tony, his movements and so on. The best news however, is that the Silver Snake may be in Japan. If so, I </i>must<i> prioritise that, even over Tony. Paradise will be created if I bring that to Number One. Paradise, at long last. We have both been waiting for this day for so long. When we learned of Vlad's demise, there was concern that the plan was in jeopardy. Only the Professor could have leaked Vlad's weakness. Only Tony, Number One and myself knew about it. I didn't know he was still alive then, so that mystery always puzzled me. Now I understand. He swore that he would burn Eden to the ground. I want to kill him for that, but it is more important that I get the Silver Snake to great-grandfather first. I can kill Tony afterwards, and take my time with it. For every year that I suffered, I will make Tony suffer five years. Only at the end of it all, once he has understood my pain, will I end him. Slowly. Painfully. Beautifully. My body quivers with excitement at the thought of the angelic masterpiece I will create from Tony's corpse. The world will fear me. Even Number One will fear me. And rightly so. I take pleasure in what I do, and what I do is create art, showcasing the beauty of despair, horror and agony. Torture is just one of my many utensils in creating my art, but for a masterpiece such as Tony, I need to go beyond the realm of torture. Far beyond. The pain he suffers must be personal, intimate, and tailored specifically to him. The methods I use on him must not be applicable to anyone else, or the masterpiece will be tarnished. I hate to ruin a work of art, and Tony will be my greatest canvas. His blood will be the paint, and his raped and pulverised Soul will be the central theme of it all. It will be perfect</i>. The girl moans softly as her fantasy gets the best of her, and her cheeks flush brightly. She gazes out at the storm again, seeing how much closer the plane has come to it, and to the lights of Tokyo below. <i>You can run and hide all you want Tony, you will never escape me. You can resist and you can struggle, but I will corner and capture you. You can fight as hard as you can, but I will overpower and dominate you. I'm coming for you, Tony, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it. You belong to me. You are mine!</i>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>